Final answer:
Marco Polo is the European who visited China in the 13th century and inspired others with his tales of the Song capital, Hangzhou. His accounts helped spark the Age of Discovery, with Europeans seeking sea routes to Asia, culminating in the navigation achievements of the Ming Dynasty and the eventual establishment of trading ports by European powers. The correct option is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The European traveler who visited China in the 13th century and described the wealth and glory of the Song capital of Hangzhou was Marco Polo. His travels and the account of his experiences, particularly in Travels, fascinated later Europeans and motivated them to seek new routes to Asia, playing a pivotal role in the Age of Discovery.
Polo's vivid descriptions of China's riches and the high demand in Europe for exotic goods like spices, tea, and silk drove European explorers like Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan to find a sea route to India. This quest for trade opportunities expanded to navigation projects across Europe, like those initiated by Prince Henry the Navigator, and eventually led to the establishment of trading depots in Asia by the Portuguese and Spanish.
In the meantime, the powerful Ming Dynasty had a strong economy and saw themselves as the center of the civilized world, requiring tributes and formalities such as kowtowing for trading access. Notably, the Ming Dynasty undertook substantial oceanic voyages before European contact, with Admiral Zheng He leading massive fleets, demonstrating China's maritime prowess and establishing a tributary system within the Indian Ocean region.
The need for a sea route to India became even more urgent after the fall of the Mongol Empire and the dangers associated with overland travel along the Silk Road heightened. The discovery of silver in the Americas became a significant turning point, providing Europeans with a commodity desired by the Asians, hence boosting international trade with the East.