The Travels of Marco Polo

Spanning this river is a very large stone bridge, 300 paces long and 8 paces wide. Marble arches support the massive bridge:

On the upper level there is a massive and lofty column resting upon a tortoise of marble and having near its base a large figure of a lion and another at the top. At a distance of a pace and a half there is another handsome column, with its lion; and so on (2617-19).

The parapets between the pillars are made of marble.

People in this city make taffetas and gold tissue:“All the people of this country are quite civilized as a result of frequent contact with the towns, which are numerous and near each other” (2630-31). Along the road to the interior of China are vineyards and mulberry trees, enabling the cultivation of grapes and the manufacture of silk.

The emperor's hunting grounds include the large city in this kingdom, but the emperor rarely takes advantage of this fact. “The consequence is that the wild animals, especially hares, multiply to such a degree as to destroy all the crops of the province” (2638-39). The Khan, however, has solved that problem by coming himself, along with many others, and seizing many of the animals.