The Travels of Marco Polo by Colin Thubron Essay

The Travels of Marco Polo by Colin Thubron - Essay Example Thus, the author provides reliable information about the various aspects of the city and the descriptions are highly factual and realistic. There are important descriptions of many towns, castles, and villages and the readers are given factual descriptions about the people, the kings, and the currency in the city. â€Å"At the end of three days, you reach the noble and magnificent city of Quinsai, a name that signifies ‘the celestial city’, and which it merits from its pre eminence to all others in the world, in grandeur and beauty, as-well as from its abundant delights, which might lead inhabitants to imagine himself in paradise. In all seasons there is, in the markets, a great variety of herbs and fruits, especially pears of an extraordinary size†¦ Each of the 10 markets squares is surrounded by high dwelling houses, in the lower part which are shops, where every kind of manufacture is carried on, and ever pre-eminence trade is sold, such as spices drugs trinkets and pearls...† (Thubron, 209) Therefore, the book provides great details about the various aspects of the city and the readers are able to gather some essential factual data regarding the cities of ancient China. Two other articles which deal with the great cities of ancient China are â€Å"The Attractions of the Capital† and â€Å"Recollections of Northern Song Capital†. A reflective analysis of these resources in comparison to each other provides an enlightening understanding of the great cities of ancient China.