What are the highlights of Hangzhou City? Take a look at the description of this traveler over 700 years ago

Travel is the reading of the soul, and reading is the journey of the soul. Marco Polo was a world-renowned traveler who arrived in the capital of the Yuan Dynasty in 1275 AD and traveled to China for 17 years. After returning to Italy, Marco Polo completed the famous Marco Polo Chronicles. Among them, there are many descriptions and emotions about cities in Jiangnan.

Yangzhou——

In the Yuan Dynasty, Yangzhou had a large population and jurisdiction, making it a city prosperous due to salt. Marco Polo recounted that he had been ordered by the Great Khan to govern this city for three whole years.

Yangzhou City left him with the impression of being a vast city, belonging to 27 cities, all of which are good cities. He introduced that residents use paper currency and rely on industry and commerce for their livelihood; There are many weapons for manufacturing cavalry captains and soldiers, and there are many garrisons of the monarch stationed in this city and its surrounding territories.

He noticed the important value of Guazhou near Yangzhou as a transportation hub: "There is a lot of grain and rice in this city, which is prepared to be transported to Hanbali City for use by the Great Khan court. It is necessary to build the necessary grain for the court, and it is transported by boat from here, not by sea."

In the past, transporting goods from the Jiangnan region to Dadu had to be done by sea. "Great Khan once connected inland rivers and lakes, and from then on, the city reached Hanba Li. There were large ditches dug between rivers and lakes, and the water was wide and deep, like a big river, for the purpose of connecting them. Therefore, a large ship with full load could sail from Guazhou City to Hanba Li City.". In addition, there is also a land road that will accumulate soil from digging ditches on both sides, forming embankments for people to walk on.

After leaving Yangzhou, Marco Polo served as a mediator and court attendant under the reign of the Great Khan for a period of time. Although not out of favor, it is far less prominent than when it was in Yangzhou. So, he has a special affection for Yangzhou and also has a special attachment to life in Yangzhou.

During the Yuan Dynasty, China's economic and cultural development was not very good, but its advantageous geographical location and abundant fishing and salt benefits brought exceptional prosperity to Yangzhou, making it a cultural city of special significance among cities in the Jiangnan region.

Due to the main practice of commercial transportation and sales of salt in the Yuan Dynasty, and the largest production and sales volume of salt in the two Huai River, Yangzhou became a concentration of salt merchants. At that time, the wealth of salt merchants in Yangzhou reached an astonishing level. Yu Que, a scholar of the Yuan Dynasty, exclaimed in "Qingyang Collection": "The splendor of horses and palaces, the extravagance of houses and palaces, should not be an exaggeration to bestow upon the emperor."

The literati of the Yuan Dynasty not only meticulously depicted the luxurious life of salt merchants in Yangzhou, but also paid attention to the integration and convergence of various cultures in the flow of the canal.

The "History of the Yuan Dynasty" states: "When returning, only books are carried in the boat." The ships traveling along the canal not only carried food and other materials, but also played an important role in the cultural exchange between the north and south. Among them, the most typical one is the influence on traditional Chinese opera culture.

Jiangnan has been a bustling place since ancient times, and there are many Northern writers who admired and even lived in Jiangnan during the early Yuan Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, the Han people were in a state of discrimination. Since there was no hope for fame and fortune, many literati began to travel to the prosperous areas of Jiangnan, either making friends with Qu Fu and feeling sad, or longing for cultural talents. This is a unique way of survival for literati in special situations.

In the early Yuan Dynasty, with the Yuan army occupying the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou, and the opening of the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, a group of zaju writers centered around the starting point of the canal gradually arrived in the southern region, making it possible for Northern and Southern qu to spread southward and blend together.

Famous playwrights of the Yuan Dynasty, such as Guan Hanqing, Bai Pu, and Ma Zhiyuan, all stopped in Yangzhou. Some playwrights have also created scripts based on historical and cultural celebrities related to Yangzhou or the economic and social life of Yangzhou.

It can be said that the "entertainment to death" carnival is a spiritual struggle that blooms in the cracks of rubble to resist violent oppression. Although Marco Polo did not record these artistic activities, during his time working in Yangzhou, he must have had a firsthand experience of the city's rich artistic atmosphere.

Hangzhou——

As the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou was the city in Jiangnan that Marco Polo observed the most meticulously and expressed the most emotions.

Hangzhou was referred to as the "Heavenly City" by Marco Polo. There are many rivers in the city, and the streets are neat and wide. The market is bustling with people coming and going. "Upon arriving here, please describe its extremely brilliant and magnificent appearance, which is truly impressive. It is said that it is the most magnificent and precious city in the world, which is not a false statement."

From the keen perspective of a businessman, Marco Polo noticed that there were a large number of shops in Hangzhou for citizens and tourists to consume. There are also 10 squares in the city, with a wide street in front of them, and a canal next to the street. Goods transported by water from various regions are traded on the shore and then directly transported to various markets. The stone warehouses built along the canal are bustling trading venues, filled with merchants from all over the world

West Lake is a highlight of Hangzhou city. Marco Polo recalled, "There was a large lake in the city, with a circumference of thirty miles. Along the lake, there were extremely beautiful palaces, magnificent residences, and all the nobles in the city. There were also many temples for idol worshippers. In the center of the lake, there were two islands, each with a magnificent palace, resembling an imperial palace. When the residents of the city had a celebration, they held it in this palace. There were silver vessels and musical instruments, and all necessary items were prepared, which the king stored for the people's use. Anyone who wanted to hold a grand celebration in this palace was allowed to do so.".

The Southern Song court seemed to be very lenient towards its subjects. West Lake is not only a place exclusively used by the royal family, but also an important venue for various activities of the people, similar to today's Citizen Square.

Marco Polo also noticed that there were numerous bathhouses along the streets connected to the market. "There are three thousand bathhouses in the city on this trip... People often enjoy bathing in them."

In addition to bathhouses, the numerous magnificent and uniquely designed private gardens in the city also demonstrate the heritage of this Jiangnan city.