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==Facts in his narratives==

There are some scholars who pointed out the many proven historical facts in the narrative of the Venetian merchant. He gave a very accurate account of the Mongol system of administration and their rule. The Italian also accurately describes Chinese social norms and practices at the time. He also recounts quite correctly the prosperity and advanced technology of the Chinese state and its many cities <ref> Vogel, Hans Ulrich. Marco Polo was in China: new evidence from currencies, salt production, and revenues (Netherlands, Brill, 2012), p 67</ref>. Some of his observations have been proven to be correct by archaeologists. For example, the Italian observed that there were many Nestorian Churches in Central China and the remains of these have been found in recent decades. The story of the Mongol princess being sent to Persia to marry the Ilkhanate ruler has been confirmed by Persian documentary sources. Moreover, the Venetian was able to observe accurately the technologies of the Chinese, especially naval technology. It is believed that he shared these when he returned home to Venice. In general, many of his descriptions of the geography of China and East Asia was generally accurate and so too is his description of the Northern Silk Road. Evidence that he knew China very well can be seen in his accurate accounts of paper currency and taxation <ref> Vogel, p 115</ref>. There is a wealth of details that would confirm that the Italian visited and was familiar with Yuan society and its economy. There is also evidence that his descriptions of his travels outside China were also on the whole accurate. The Italian also gave a good description of Hindu customs in India, and the spices of South-East Asia. However, it is probably safe to assume that Marco did not always fully understand what he had seen <ref>Vogel, p 189</ref>.

==Conclusion==

During his lifetime and since many people believed that Marco had simply made his journey to China up and that he was something of a liar. As he lay on his deathbed, a Dominican friary implored the Venetian to admit that he had lied in his book and to repent, so that he would die sinless. The proud merchant refused and said he had only told the truth and that he had not related half of what he had witnessed. In general, the Venetian had given a faithful account of what he saw on his travels on the Silk Road, China, and Asia. His work is filled with many facts that are confirmed by other sources and archaeology. It does seem likely that he traveled extensively in China and served the great Khan. Much of what is recorded in the 14th-century narrative is accurate and therefore it has some historical value. However, it cannot be denied that there are many fabulous and incredible stories in the book. This may have been a result of the Pisan author who recorded the stories and his desire to make the work a success. Marco Polo’s records of his travels and adventures are in general authentic and somewhat reliable, however, they need to be read with care because of some fabrications, exaggerations, and omissions.