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Dear Editor:
My name is Raheem. I am an Italian
trader and have traveled all through China.
I am writing to you with personal knowledge of China and in
defense of Marco Polo. I have firsthand knowledge of China
and I have seen everything he has seen. I know that Marco Polo’s claims were not fabricated.
There are many remarkable and impressive
aspects of life in China. Some of the most amazing aspects
of China are its cultural achievements. Some of the achievements
I’ve seen are paper money, ships and moveable type printing. I saw ships trading with kings and queens. I saw ships
made of bamboo with a mast sail that lowered and rose easily. I also learned about paper money. In China,
paper money was called flying money because it was so light it could out of your hand. They didn't want to use coins because
they were heavier carry and to transport. They also used moveable-type printing to hold the textbooks together. Printers made
book making quicker, and more people could buy them. Another achievement is China's
geographic features. Some of the geographic features I’ve seen are the Himalaya Mountains. They
had a lot of animals. They didn’t have to worry about food all of the time. I also leaned about the Gobi
Desert. People in the Gobi Desert
engage in sheepherding. The Gobi Desert
is 1,000 miles across south eastern Mongolia. I also saw the East China Sea. It is good for China
because it helps during wars. The water is very deep and shallow. Then, I saw the Sichuan
Basin. It is a great place to grow crops, including corn. There is little penetration
from the cold winters and storms because it is surrounded by mountains.
Based on what I have reported about
China, surly one can see that Marco Polo was not telling a
million lies. He was telling the truth about all the things he said. He saw was a good man. He has traveled all around China.
He found a lot of things in China that you would not have
found in a long time. He found it and told you the truth. I have seen it with my own two eyes.
Sincerely,
Raheem
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Dear Editor:
My name is Nicole,
and I am an Italian trader. I write to you with personal knowledge of China and in defense of Marco Polo. As an accomplished trader that has traveled to China, I have firsthand knowledge
of China and personally know that Marco Polo’s claims of what he saw were not fabricated.
There are many remarkable
and impressive aspects of life in China. One of the things I saw once in China was paper money. It is called “flying money” because it is so light that it can be picked
up by the wind. It is much easier to carry than all of the coins we carry around here in Italy. I also saw pottery made
out of something called porcelain. The clay used to make porcelain is called kaolin. The clay is fired at a high temperature
so it hardens into porcelain. Another thing I saw that Marco Polo may have seen was gunpowder. Gunpowder was discovered by
Chinese alchemists, and is used to make weapons. The Chinese also have very structured belief systems. The Chinese have three
major belief systems: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism is based on the teachings of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher.
Confucianism focuses on proper conduct, government service, respect for elders, and education. The code of behavior that Confucius
taught revolved around five relationships. He believed that these relationships would be in harmony if the people involved
in it showed respect and good behavior to those in authority. Daoism is based on the teachings of Laozi, who is believed to
be the first Daoist philosopher. According to Daoism, the best way for people to attain peace is to simply live in harmony
with nature. Daoists do not believe in a strong government, but happiness can be attained by contemplating nature and leading
a life in tune with nature. I have learned from my knowledge of Daoism that harmony and peace comes from the opposite forces
of nature, called Yin and Yang. Buddhism was first started in India, and was brought to China in A.D. 200 by monks who
traveled to China. Buddhism believes in reincarnation, which means that when the soul leaves the body, it passes into
the body of something else; whether it is a human, animal, or even a plant. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha
Guatama, also known as the Buddha. He taught that all life is pain and suffering, and that these two are caused by the desire
for fame, wealth, power, and pleasure. He also taught that these desires can be overcome by attaining what is called nirvana,
meaning that one desires nothing. When one attains nirvana, they are no longer reincarnated. Based on what I have learned,
a Buddhist’s final goal is to devote themselves to bringing other people to enlightenment.
Based on what I
have reported about China, surely one can see that Marco Polo was not telling a million lies. The city of Venice must change their perceptions of
Marco Polo’s claims. I personally know that the claims he made about China were not lies, for I too have seen the wonders
of China. Please, the Venetian people must realize that they were wrong about not believing Marco Polo’s
claims about China. How can you not believe something you have not seen, and know so little about? I would like to thank
you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Nicole
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Dear Editor:
My name is Vincent. I’m an Italian resident that has personally been to China. I’m
writing this letter to defend Marco Polo’s claims. I’m deeply serious
when I say I have been to China. Like Marco Polo, I saw some amazing things. I saw spectacular
structures, statues, and canals. You have to see it to believe it.
There are many remarkable and impressive
aspects of life in China.
For example, look at China’s geographic features. I also saw deserts with sheepherders. I
also saw their cultural achievements. I saw waterways that had water in them. They also made paper money, which they used.
They also had coal and iron production. Later in my trip, I heard about
their belief system. There is Confucianism, which people had to respect others
and work hard. The people also had to live according to virtues. The next belief was Daoism. Daoism teaches that harmony comes
from balance from the opposite forces of nature. The last belief is Buddhism. In Buddhism, the goal is to attain nirvana and believe in reincarnation.
Based on what I have reported about China,
I think you should be convinced. How do you know if he is telling the truth? You have not even been there. I have
personally been to China and know for a fact that Marco Polo
is telling the truth. As an Italian trader who has been to China,
I think you should reconsider.
Sincerely,
Vincent
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