The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy, as well as the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's passing. Starting from November 3rd, the East branch of the Shanghai Library will host a prestigious exhibition showcasing the process of transcription, printing, dissemination, translation, and study of "The Travels of Marco Polo."

This is the first exhibition of the precious manuscript of "The Travels of Marco Polo" in China, featuring core exhibits that encompass the "Western texts in Chinese characters" that emerged from over 700 years of China-Italian cultural exchanges. The vibrant market scenes, luxurious yet affordable silks and satins, and the magnificent capitals depicted in the narratives evoke a deep fascination with the East in people's hearts.

Titled "Real and Imaginary Lands — China and Marco Polo: A Tale of Books", the exhibition is supported by rare documents from Italian collecting institutions and the Shanghai Library. It is divided into four sections: "A Tale of Book", "Sailing on Sand and Sea","The Regularity of Sun and Moon", and "The Glorious Stars", featuring over a hundred exquisite documents from both China and abroad.

The exhibits include early manuscripts of "The Travels of Marco Polo" and printed editions in various languages, as well as Chinese books and periodicals related to Marco Polo since the 19th century, along with many precious documents stemming from China-Italian cultural exchanges.

Among the highlights are four representative early manuscripts of "The Travels of Marco Polo" (Tuscany version, Venetian version, tuscan translation of the Venetian version, and the Latin version), as well as rare handwritten documents such as the will of Marco Polo's uncle, all sourced from renowned Italian collecting institutions to make their debut in China.

In addition, the exhibition will showcase the fruitful results of contemporary Chinese scholars in the study of Marco Polo, revealing the truths hidden within historical texts through a dialogue between the past and the present:

"Did Marco Polo really come to China?" "Are the accounts in the travelogues derived from Marco Polo's personal experiences or hearsay?" "Was the author of the book not Marco Polo himself?"

During the exhibition, Visitors will not only trace the grand journey from creation, transcription, printing, dissemination, Translation to in-depth research of the "The Travels of Marco Polo," but will also experience the unique textual charm of this "miracle book" within its historical context.

For academic researchers, This is a rare opportunity to closely examine the exquisite versions of "The Travels of Marco Polo". For the general audience, it is a time-traveling journey alongside Marco Polo across the "boundary between the real and fantasy."

一场穿越时空的旅行：《马可·波罗游记》手抄本首次来华

今年正值中意建立全面战略伙伴关系20周年以及纪念马可·波罗逝世700周年。11月3日起，上海图书馆东馆将呈现一场关于《马可·波罗游记》传抄、印刷、流传、翻译、研究历程的精品文献展览。

这是《马可·波罗游记》珍贵手抄本的首次来华展出，核心展品囊括七百年来中意文化交流中形成的“西文汉籍”。繁华热闹的市集、华美廉价的丝绸锦缎、宏伟壮观的都城……人们因此对东方无限神往。

展览名为“虚实之界：奇迹之书《马可·波罗游记》”，以意大利收藏机构与上海图书馆珍藏的珍稀文献为依托，分为“奇迹之书”“沙舟海帆”“日月有常”“烂然星陈”四个部分，共展出中外精品文献逾百件。

展品涵盖了《马可·波罗游记》的早期手抄本与不同语种的印刷本，19世纪以来与马可·波罗相关的中文书籍、报刊，以及中意文化交流中形成的诸多珍贵文献。

其中，四件《马可·波罗游记》代表性的早期抄本（托斯卡纳语版本、威尼斯语版本、译自威尼斯语版本的托斯卡纳语版本、拉丁语版本），以及马可·波罗叔叔老马可的遗嘱等珍稀手抄本文献，均来自意大利知名的收藏机构，均为首次在华展出。

此外，展览还将呈现国内近现代学者在马可·波罗研究上所取得的丰硕成果，在古今对话中揭开隐藏在历史文本中的真相——

“马可·波罗真的到过中国吗？”“游记所述究竟源自马可·波罗的亲身见闻还是道听途说？”“《马可·波罗游记》的作者不是马可·波罗本人？”

展览期间，观众不仅可以看到《马可·波罗游记》从生成、传抄、印刷、流传、翻译到深入研究的壮阔历程，更能阅读到这部“奇迹之书”在历史语境里的独特文本魅力。

对于学术研究者而言，这是一次近距离观赏《马可·波罗游记》珍稀版本的难得机会。对于普通观众而言，这是一场跟随马可·波罗穿越“虚实之界”的时空旅行。

（羊城晚报·羊城派综合澎湃新闻、浦东观察）
翻译丨洪婷
英文审校丨赵凡