Final answer:
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant who visited China in the late thirteenth century, documenting his travels in 'The Travels of Marco Polo,' which later inspired explorers like Christopher Columbus.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant who visited China in the late thirteenth century. Setting out from Venice in 1271 with his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo, Marco was part of a diplomatic mission that carried a paiza, allowing them to travel through Mongol lands with provisions and horses. This journey took them to the court of Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor who ruled China at the time.
The accounts of Polo's travels, which included descriptions of paper money, coal, and a Chinese form of pasta, were captured in The Travels of Marco Polo, a book that inspired later explorers like Christopher Columbus. Marco Polo's adventures in the Mongol empire and beyond not only created trading connections but also contributed significantly to European knowledge of Asian geography and culture, further fueling the age of exploration.