About 700 years ago, Marco Polo (1254-1324), an Italian traveler and merchant, arrived in Khanbaliq or Dadu, capital of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), via the grassland in west Inner Mongolia and began his journey through China.

The Adventures of Marco Polo is presented in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia on July 19. [Photo provided to China Daily]

An audio-visual feast featuring Marco Polo's legendary travels is being presented in Hohhot's Wulanqiate Grand Theatre, Inner Mongolia, on July 19, as a highlight of the "one fair and two festivals" activity being celebrated in Hohhot. The activity includes the eighth China National Commodity Trade Fair, the 15th China Hohhot Zhaojun Culture Festival and the fourth China Hohhot Minority Culture Tourism Festival.

The play, titled The Adventures of Marco Polo, is a large comprehensive work that integrates Inner Mongolian ethnic songs and dances with artistic elements like acrobatics and magic. It described ancient and splendid ethnic cultures, especially the religious beliefs in the Yuan Dynasty, the blending of different ethnic groups as well as an all-embracing ideology.

The Adventures of Marco Polo is presented in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia on July 19. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Starting with the 17-year-old Marco Polo setting off on his voyage for Asia, the play runs through diverse stage settings, including Venice, a city on water, to Dadu, a city of grassland characteristics, and Yangzhou, a beautiful city on the banks of the Yangtze River.

The Adventures of Macro Polo is an epic tale of exploration and wonder, love and loss. The play's magnificent stage effects and performances took the audience by storm.

The play was produced in celebration the 860th anniversary of Dadu’s founding. It was a joint production of Hohhot Ethnic Art Performance Group, the Beijing Bureau of Culture and China Heaven Creation International Performing Arts Co. Before it’s run during the "one fair and two festivals," it hit the stage 426 times in the White House Theatre in the US.

Edited by Michael Thai