Some cultural events that features Marco Polo are revealed by Massimo Ambrosetti, the ambassador of Italy to China on January 25, 2024. Photo: Li Yuche/GT

Aimed at commemorating Marco Polo, one of the most iconic figures in the history of China-Italy exchanges along the ancient Silk Road, a series of cultural events are set to further the connections between the two countries.  

As the year 2024 marks the 700th anniversary of Marc Polo's death in 1324, a series of upcoming cultural events that features the cultural messenger were revealed by Massimo Ambrosetti, the ambassador of Italy to China, at a press conference on Thursday at the Embassy of Italy in Beijing.

Those events cover fields such as films, art as well as biodiversity. Ambassador Ambrosetti revealed that by the end of March, a symposium will be launched in Beijing featuring renowned Italian journalist Federico Rampini. The event focuses on how Marco Polo's legacies shed light on both Western and Asian cultural growth.

In Kunming, Yunnan Province, another symposium will be held to discuss how the "environmental concerns" Marco Polo mentioned in his journals have shed light on today's conservation of biodiversity. 

Italian Ambassador to China Massimo Ambrosetti (left) with Chen Jianwen, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Guangdong Provincial Committee Photo: Courtesy of the Italian Embassy in China

Ambrosetti revealed that an art exhibition is scheduled to launch in the early summer that aims to bring audiences closer to the early cultural globalization reflected in Marco Polo's journals. The exhibition is planned to be divided into different parts to bring visitors close to those locations and places where Marco Polo have once documented in his travelling journal as well as showing audiences about the interactions between the then Chinese and European cultures. It will be held at the China Millennium Monument around early summer, 2024. 

At the event, the ambassador stressed that the cultural legacies left by Marco Polo are "important" for furthering China-Italy dialogues and exchanges. They can also provide better understanding for people to cope with challenges in the international environment. 

While Marco Polo passed away a long time ago, he is still no doubt a symbol of the long-standing friendship between China and Italy. His passion for diverse cultures has continued to today. The ambassador said that new figures such as teachers, students and researchers are "contemporary Marco Polos" who can carry on his cultural exchange mission.