Trends: Well-known Italians such as Marco Polo make important contributions during exchanges between China and Italy

People walk past tourist information in various languages including Chinese near the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, on March 26, 2023. Italy has been included on a second list of 40 destinations under a pilot program rolled out by China to resume outbound group travel. As the number of passenger flights between the two countries rebounds, more Chinese tourists are expected. Many public facilities and scenic areas in Italy now offer Chinese language services. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

 In a recent interview, Franco Amadei, former cultural counselor of the Italian Embassy in China, mentioned about a group of well-known Italians such as Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci, who had made important contributions during the exchanges between China and Italy.

I "I have lived in China for more than 30 years," he said, "and when many Chinese hear that I am Italian, the first figure they think of is Marco Polo. Marco Polo came to China in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). He was a smart and brave businessman, but not an intellectual. He didn't have a deep cultural background. And therefore Travels of Marco Polo is not an academic work, so ordinary people also love to read this travelogue. Ancient Rome learned about China through the Silk Road, and this book allowed Europeans to rediscover China after the Middle Ages."

China.com



After a video clipping about a village basketball association, or Village BA, in Southwest China's Guizhou Province went viral, its village soccer league has become a new trend.

On Saturday evening, the village soccer game was held in Rongjiang, Guizhou, with a full house of spectators. Before the match, villagers from different places dressed in ethnic costumes, played reed pipes, danced and entered the field with the soccer players from their respective villages. In Rongjiang, the soccer field has become a must-go-to place every weekend. Local people have agreed to make every Saturday night a time for village soccer. These splendid soccer matches can be enjoyed alongside ethnic culture displays and specialty food.

The Paper



The Chinese women's volleyball team defeated Germany 3-0 on Sunday, securing their second consecutive victory at the 2023 World League. After the match, China's vice-spiker Wang Yuanyuan said that even during the difficult third set, the team's belief that they would win never wavered. Wang performed well during this match, contributing 11 points. In the third set, Germany once caught up with China at 22:22. Talking about the tense situation at that time, Wang said: "The opponent must have wanted to fight back, but we were mentally prepared for any difficulties. The Chinese team is a new lineup, so we can't rely on absolute strength to defeat our opponents. We need to do our best at every match."

Xinhua News Agency