Summary:
Discusses Marco polo's trip to China. Evaluates evidence that the trip actually took place.
I am writing in response to the many claims I have been hearing about Marco Polo and his journey to China. I'm hearing people laugh at his stories about China and dismiss them as "folk tales." As a fellow diamond merchant, I can assure you these stories are indeed true. The Chinese are a prosperous civilization, with many cultural achievements, complex belief systems, and a powerful dynastic rule.
To begin with, China is a very intelligent nation and has many cultural achievements to prove it. They use abundant amounts of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur to create gunpowder. The uses of gunpowder vary greatly, from being used to make entertaining fireworks to serving as ammunition for deadly cannons during wartime. The Chinese are also the inventors of the mechanical clock, which can tell exact time without effort. Other Chinese contributions include the spinning wheel to make yarn, and a vaccination for smallpox. In conclusion, anyone who doubts the intelligence of the people of China can just look at the cultural and scientific achievements they've made.
In addition, the Chinese have four major belief systems circulating throughout their nation, each one unique in its own way. The first is Confucianism. Founded by the Chinese philosopher Confucius, Confucianism focuses on respect for others and accepting your place in society. The second Chinese belief system is Legalism. This philosophy was founded by Hanfezi, and it believes the only way to achieve order is to pass strict laws that are enforced with harsh punishments. The third Chinese philosophy is Daoism, founded by Laozi. Unlike Confucianism or Legalism, Daoism focused on being harmonic with nature instead of bringing order to society. The final belief system found in China is Buddhism. Although it originated in northern India, Buddhism spread throughout the rest of Asia, including China. The main goal of Buddhists is to achieve enlightenment and to be released from the rebirth cycle. This achievement is called nirvana. In conclusion, China further supports its reputation of being an intelligent nation by supporting four strong belief systems.
Last, but not least, the Chinese are ruled by a powerful dynasty, or ruling family. The nation is controlled by a single, all-powerful emperor or empress. As Marco Polo described, these rulers live in absolute luxury. Although this may seem a bit oppressive, it is in fact an advantage. Instead of being a divided country like Europe, China is unified and does not war against each other. They manage to keep themselves in power by setting up a Civil Service System, which consists of all the government jobs. People consider working in the Civil Service System an honor, and only the most educated are chosen to work. They also move government workers to a different city each three years, to prevent corruption or dishonesty. Despite being very smart, the Chinese would probably not be so powerful a nation if they were divided and feuding like Europe is.
In conclusion, Marco Polo's tales are indeed true, and he should not be referred to by such names as "Million Lies." China is a great nation with many cultural achievements, advanced belief systems, and a dominant dynastic rule. They certainly are more advanced and prosperous than our humble Venetian city. In fact, all of Europe should take a leaf out of China's book. Then we just might be able to call Europe the most advanced country in the world.
This is the complete article, containing 561 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
