Chinese Liu Haixiang and his crew announced on Monday that they plan to ride along Marco Polo's oriental journey from Italy to China.The 18,000-kilometer ride, which is named as the Journey of Silk Road Dream and expected to take one year, is scheduled to start in August and pass through 30 cities of 17 countries and regions in Asia and Europe.

Some 700 years ago, 17-year-old Italian Marco Polo started his long journey from Venice, crossed the entire Eurasian continent and arrived in Beijing four years later.

Marco Polo lived in China for 17 years and left Quanzhou, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province, for home. His remarks and memories of China were recorded in the book - the Travels of Marco Polo.

The 32-year-old Liu, an avid fan of cycling from Quanzhou where Marco Polo reportedly launched his Maritime Silk Road journey for home, told Xinhua that he dreams to follow - on two wheels - the Marco Polo's land road that featured desert, Gobi and other tough landform.

Liu, a travel photographer and outdoor sports veteran, said his team had already spent nine months on preparation for the journey.