European Explorers

Marco Polo The Polo family’s goal was to bring back valuable trade goods from China.

Venice The Polo family was from Venice. We know it today as Italy.

Kublai Khan The orange shows the boundary of the 13 th century Mongol Empire compared to today’s boundaries. Shangdu The Polos The Polo family giving gifts to the emperor.

The demand for silk grew so much that is was said that silk was worth its weight in gold. Demands were coming from Europe and Africa. Silk came from the cocoons of moths. These silk materials are from before 1000 AD.

Silk Road – major trade route (land and sea) between China and other lands.

Legend says that Marco Polo did not know where he was going when he first set out on his travels- hence the game's name. Marco Polo’s journey made people in both Asia and Europe want to know more about each other.

13 th century Chinese ship Chinese magnetic compass The mission of the enormous Chinese naval fleet was to expand Chinese trade and show great power. They would use landmarks and stars on clear nights, however they weren’t able to travel far from land because of this. Chinese Sailors

Zheng He 1371 – 1435

Zheng He’s ship compared to the size of the ship of Christopher Columbus. Set sail in 1405 Seven voyages in the next 28 years The result of these voyages was that the demand for Chinese trade goods grew and grew. E0E2AC48E5F76

Route of his 7 th voyage. Zheng He’s map India at the top Africa at the bottom