Marco Polo proves a hit in US

The Peacock Dance in Adventures of Marco Polo, is performed by the Performing Arts Group of Hohhot in Branson, Missouri, in 2013. [Photo/China Daily]

"After it was founded in March 2013, the group adopted a policy that gives full play to the talented young blood that has emerged from the arts school at Inner Mongolia University in recent years, and this guaranteed the quality of the dance part of the show.

"The extraordinary openness of the Yuan Dynasty to foreign cultures and its tolerance of different religions is reflected in the show through Marco Polo's experiences and the universal desire for love, which resonates with the audience."

Polo, who could speak four languages, was the first European to bring back a detailed chronicle of experiences in China.

He set off for China in 1271, when the whole country was under Mongolian rule, and served at Kublai Khan's court.

Many of the places Polo visited were not seen again by Europeans until modern times.

His descriptions of the fabulous wealth of China under the Yuan Dynasty and the prosperous cities aroused the interest of merchants and explorers. As a result, contacts and trade links between China and Europe strengthened.

Telling a story about contact between China and Europe is not new, but the subject is explored in the show through music and dance, presented a huge challenge to the newly formed group.

"The show aims to give Western audiences information about the historical links between the East and the West through Polo's observations," said director Cao Xiaoning.