Seven centuries after Marco Polo began his legendary journey eastward, a group of Beijing Foreign Studies University students is flipping the script ✈️ – traveling west to Croatia's Marco Polo Center to rediscover how the OG traveler shaped global connections.
🔍 Led by curator Vicka Marelica, the group explored artifacts and maps tracing Polo's 13th-century Silk Road adventures that linked Venice to the Yuan Dynasty. 'Marco didn't just trade goods – he traded ideas that changed history,' Marelica told the students during the immersive exhibit tour.
🎉 The visit celebrates the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), drawing modern parallels to Polo's cross-cultural bridge-building. 'We're literally walking in the footsteps of history,' said student Li Wei, 21. 'It makes you realize how young people have always driven cultural exchange.'
🌐 The Adriatic Sea port where Polo set sail now hosts one of Europe's fastest-growing BRI hubs, with China-Croatia trade growing 18% annually. As night fell, students shared viral TikTok dance trends with local Croatian peers – proving some connections transcend centuries 🕺💃.
