Not long after the Tang era (618-907), when trade along the Silk Road had reached its height, the fearsome Genghis Khan and his Mongol armies conquered a vast area spanning much of Central Asia. Accordingly, the Silk Road became an important communication route between different parts of the Mongol Empire. During the rule of Kublai Khan, more Europeans began venturing towards China along the Silk Road. The most famous of these travelers was Marco Polo, whose thoughts and adventures were later recorded and embellished by an Italian romance writer.

唐代是丝绸之路沿途贸易活动的鼎盛时期，在唐代王朝灭亡后不久，令人闻风丧胆的成吉思汗及其蒙古大军征服了横跨中亚大部分地区的广阔领土。丝绸之路于是成为蒙古帝国各部落间重要的交通线路。忽必烈统治期间，更多的欧洲人冒险沿着丝绸之路来到中国。这些旅行者中最出名的就是马可波罗，他的所见所闻后来被一位意大利传奇小说家记载下来，并加以润色。

(短文节选,本篇始于：长相“丝”守)