Marco Polo's Influence On Chinese Culture

In Ancient China the father of the woman decided who that his daughter would marry. There was no agreement between the two fathers. The father would talk with an astrologer who had a birth chart on every child. By looking at the time and date of their births he would then decide whether or not they would be compatible for one another. The father when then make the decision whether they would marry, the daughter’s thoughts and opinion’s did not count.(9) The woman was required to be completely devoted to her husband. After the marriage a Chinese women was expected to bow to her new in-laws and offer them tea. This showed them that she now belonged to her husband’s family. It was required of her to obey her new

“I have not told half of what I saw” – Marco Polo. Marco Polo was a world famous traveler and trader. The introductions of China and Asia, for many, was all thanks to him. Polo is most known for his travels to China and his book. His book describes the basis of the descriptions of places that were not really discovered.

Astrologers- People who were experts in the reading of astronomy and recounting it to another person’s life.

Superstitions were not taken so seriously by educated people as plain people did, but both types of people were thoughtful moon watchers. Farmers did each of their tasks based on the the phases of the moon. They had superstitions that if they work on the right tasks during their corresponding moon phase, then they will have successful

Astronomy and astrology are very similar, yet different. Astronomy is the study of the universe and what's inside of it, as well as other universes. Astrology is the study of how the actions and movements of things in our universe affect what happens on earth, and people. Although they both deal with the universe and one was founded by the other, they also have many things that set them apart from one another. This essay will talk about the differences and similarities of astronomy and astrology and how each is used.

Many children, including myself, have once played the game Marco Polo. Although, I have always been curious, who exactly is Marco Polo? My fascination of Marco Polo warped into a fixation of his travels. Marco Polo was born in Venice in the year 1254. His father, Nicolo, and his uncle, Maffeo, were merchants who had seats in the great nobleman council of Venice (Polo IV). According to his records, he had traveled thousands of miles with his father and uncle.

Astrology has been around for many years, but many people don’t understand what astrology is, who used astrology, and its

Marco Polo: The Influence of His Travels Hearing the name Marco Polo tends to draw the image of a great explorer, the captivating storyteller or simply just the game kids play in the pool. However, Marco Polo’s adventures into the East have contributed beyond just an exciting bedtime tale. The day Marco Polo left with his father and uncle to travel through Asia in 1271 was an event that led to fascinating discoveries and his documentation of those experiences allowed for many progressions to take place in the European world. While some historians question the truthfulness behind the stories told, implying that Marco Polo exaggerated his findings and possibly depth of his journey, the influence of his book, The Book of Marvels, is prevalent in European history.

Marco Polo was born in the thirteenth century (1254 A.D.) in Venice, an Italian city-state, and he was very much a man of his time. He had the standard education for a young gentleman — knowledge of classical authors and the basic beliefs of the church, a good grasp of French and Italian, and skills in accounting. This combination is fortunate for us, since his writings offer a window onto the world of the thirteenth century. His knowledge of culture and business made Marco Polo very observant of humans, animals, and plants, as well as anything that might touch upon commercial opportunities. He was observant about cultures that were very different from his own and able to describe them without much bias.

The 19th century had sparked a time period of bloody revolution, social and political reform, and both economic and financial problems for China. Though the cause of many of these problems could be rooted to internal conflict, foreign influence on Chinese ways proved to be disastrous. During the early 19th century the population was growing, the economy seemed stable and generally people seemed content with China’s economic progress. However these feelings of success would soon end as overpopulation would cause widespread poverty and famine. At that point in time China’s rulers had been Manchu; the Qing dynasty had been in rule but even its

Throughout history different cultures have let astronomy shape their beliefs and customs. One such culture that has traditions rich in astronomy is the Japanese culture. Since I am half Japanese, I thought I would discuss some of the traditions found in Japanese culture. Further, I will explain how these aincient traditions and beliefs are still present in modern day society in Japan. I found some really great websites which I will use to write my essay. The first website focuses primarily on Japanese festivals/traditions and how astronomy plays a part in Japanese festivals/traditions. The "Astrologers Union of Japan" homepage is great, but the whole website is written in Japanese. Astroarts has a

“I have not told half of what I saw” were the final words of the great Venetian explorer Marco Polo; however, in recent times, Marco Polo’s exploits have been doubted more and more. (Pedriali, 161) Most often cited as evidence that Marco Polo’s travels may not have been as truthful as reported is the 1998 book Did Marco Polo go to china? by Dr. Frances Wood. Through new research done by Dr. Hans Ulrich Vogel of University of Tübingen in Germany, it has been shown that Marco Polo was mostly truthful in his memoirs, but it has also proven that some things were exaggerated thanks to his ghostwriter Rustichello da Pisa, Marco Polo himself, or later copyists.

China has about five thousand years history which is a very long period of time. Also, the Chinese civilization was growing with these periods of time and it will continues greater than ever. Many wars and unhappinesses were happening during this period. Although, the time has passed, the histories and the civilizations have not passed. These family virtues, serious, working attitudes, sense of justice and the great Confucian tradition have been deeply assimilated into the Chinese people. Some Chinese traditions are different from North American’s. The Chinese culture has many special characteristics which are very interesting for people to learn.

3[Astrology has been practiced for over six thousand years], and 4[millions of people have based their lives and life choices on it.] 5[Until the eighteenth century, astrology was even used as a form of medical diagnosis.] 6[Its diagnoses and prescriptions were considered at the time to be far more reliable and efficacious than those of the medical practitioners of the time.]

Have you ever been to a Chinese restaurant that handed you a paper with a bunch of random animals and years on it? Most people will just throw it away and not pay that much attention to it. That little piece of paper contains a basic information about the Chinese Zodiac just enough to get you hooked. There are many people all over the world that very much believe in the ancient Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac can be helpful for finding the current Chinese year, what animal people are, and can help make decisions.