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...