Several Points of Contention Cast Doubt on the Travels

In 1477 a German edition - the First printed edition - was published, and by 1929 there were 76 editions in translation. Since publication of The Travels, many of the incredible stories related in the book have been comfirmed, and it is still widely consulted by scholars. Its value in understanding life during the Yuan Dynasty is unquestionable, but at the same time much controversy has surrounded the book as well. At first the arguments were over the accuracy of its details, however nowadays an even larger question is being considered: did Marco Polo ever actually visit China, or is the book based entirely on hearsay and rumor?

The debate among scholars revolves around several points of contention. Firstly, if Marco Polo were really so highly regarded by Kublal Khan, and was given a high position as an official in the imperial government, why wasn't his name mentioned in the vast historical records of the Yuan Dynasty? Further more, if Marco Polo had really been to China and was familiar with Chinese culture, why did he fail to mention both Chinese tea and Chinese characters - two products typical of Chinese culture - in The Travels?

There is also no description of printing - one of China's great inventions, and there are many questionable figures and events which cannot be verified. Marco Polo was even not clear about the family tree of the Mongolian emperors. Lastly,many Chinese place names were spelled ha Persian.Why didn't Marco Polo use Chinese spellings if he had really been to China?

The above questions support the arguments of some scholars who believe that Marco Polo never went to China. The early 19th-century German scholar K. D. Hullmann regarded The Travels as a mere church legend, a poorly designed travel book for missionaries and merchants.