Final answer:
Marco Polo's journey to China introduced knowledge of Chinese culture to Europe, spurred demand for luxury items and knowledge, and indirectly facilitated the spread of the Black Death via the Silk Road, although his travels did not directly cause the plague's spread.
Step-by-step explanation:
One effect of Marco Polo's journey to China that can be described is the introduction of knowledge about Chinese culture, goods, and trade routes to Europe. This knowledge contributed to a surge in demand for luxury items such as spices, tea, precious stones, china, and silk. Moreover, Polo's detailed accounts of his travels to the Court of Kublai Khan fascinated Europeans and spurred the age of exploration. Polo's works also highlighted various cultural and technological aspects of the Far East that were unknown in Europe at the time, including the use of paper money, coal, and a form of pasta similar to those found in China.
While Polo's journey did not directly establish the Silk Road (which predated him), it did contribute to the increased interactions along it. It is also important to note that, indirectly, the Silk Road was implicated in the spread of the Black Death, as it facilitated the movement of goods and, unfortunately, diseases between disparate regions. However, Marco Polo's travels themselves did not spread the plague; rather, they marked an increase in the understanding of and fascination with Asia among Europeans, leading to the desire for direct trade connections and the consequent age of exploration.