意大利的马可·波罗是世界公认的大旅行家，也称得上是西方第一个“中国通”。他游历了世界众多地方，13世纪后期竟不远万里，横穿欧亚大陆来到元代的中国，居然受到了元代大汗信任和赏识，被元大汗留居17年之久，其间他奉命出使过马八儿（今印度东南），爪哇（今印尼爪哇岛）等国和地区，并受命到全国各地巡查。
　　由于这个经历，他对远东地区有着广泛而深入的了解，尤其是有机会在中国各地巡视，他对中国各地均颇为熟悉，特别是对汗八里（北京）、行在（杭州）了解更甚，后世西方人对东方中国的了解主要是从他的游记开始的，可以说他是西方国家揭开东方世界神秘面纱当之无愧的“先驱者”，也是历史上把北京、杭州等中国著名城市介绍给西方世界的第一人。
　　
　　宏大壮丽的“天城”
　　
　　1277—1287年间，马可·波罗受元代大汗指派多次来杭州巡检岁课、检校盐课，可能在杭州居住过一段时间；1287—1289年间他奉命出使印度等地时，往返途中又两历杭州。1290年夏，他和父、叔两人随波斯使团护送蒙古阔阔真公主下嫁伊利汗国，并顺道西行回国，这期间他途经杭州，再次游历了杭州。
　　马可·波罗在游记中盛赞杭州为“The Heaven City”，意即“天城”，是“世界上最宏大壮丽的城市！”并说杭州的“赏心乐事是如此之多，以致人到那里，仿佛置身天堂一般！”马可·波罗不懂汉语，他当年肯定听人说过“上有天堂，下有苏杭”这一谚语，但因对其含义不得究竟，因此他把杭州称为“天城”时，又误称苏州为“地城”。
　　马可·波罗对杭城规模大小和地理环境了如指掌，说：“行在城规模是如此宏大，其方圆公认有100里左右。城内街道和运河十分宽大。”“这个城市所处方位如下，城的一面有一个碧波盈盈的淡水湖泊，另一面则有一条大江。通过延伸到城区每一地方的许多大小河渠，湖水和河水带走各种污秽浊气，然后流入上述湖中，接着又从那些运河流入大海。这使空气洁净，非常合乎卫生。人们可由陆路和这些河渠往来城内各地。街巷和河道都很宽阔，舟船、车马往来便捷，为居民运送各种必需物品。”这与杭城左江右湖、运河纵横的地理状况完全吻合。
　　
　　商铺林立 鱼市繁盛
　　
　　元初杭州商业繁盛，“钱塘富庶称第一”，“邑屋繁华，货殖填委”，“象犀珠玉之珍，稻鱼盐之利，常溢于庐市。”马可·波罗对杭州的商贸繁盛情况描述得细致入微：“城中有许多方形街区，市民在那里开设市场。由于经商者人数众多，市场必须十分开阔广大。”“城中就有十大露天市场，其形方正，每边长各为半里。这些市场沿线，有一条宽达40步的大街，亘贯全城南北，街上有许多平坦的桥梁横卧，以利往来。这些市场周围长达2里，每隔4里即有一处。”这里所说的，其实就是杭州的厢坊和御街。
　　“每一个上述市场，一周有3天集市，前来赶集的人多达四五万之多，他们带来你所需要的各种食物。因为这里常年需要大量的粮食供应：猎物野味，如小种牡鹿、赤鹿、黄鹿、野兔；各种鸟禽，如鹧鸪、雉鸡、鹌鹑、鸡、阉鸡以及鸭、鹅，数量之多，难以形容。……上述市场经常供应各种蔬菜和水果”，“沿着我们已讲到过的亘贯全城两端的大街，两侧高楼耸立，庭院幽深，民居稠密，鳞次栉比。居民在店坊里劳作经营，不论何时，他们都上下奔波，里外忙碌。他们人数之多，令人怀疑是否有足够的粮食供他们食用。每当集市日，上述所有市场人头济济，熙熙攘攘。商人们纷纷坐车搭船前来交易，所有商品都销售一空。”
　　
　　马可·波罗特别提到杭州的鱼市：“从海洋上行到大江25里水域，每天出产大量鲜鱼运来城中，湖里出产的鱼量也很大，那里常年有专门的捕鱼为生的渔民。鱼的品种各色各样，应季节不同而变化。由于城中污秽流入湖中，成为鱼类美食，因此鱼儿都长得十分肥硕，鲜美可口。谁要是看到上市鱼类数量如此之多，决不会相信被买光，然而，由于当地居民习于满足口腹之欲，他们每餐必吃鱼和肉，因而实际上用不着几小时，全部鱼就销售一空。”马可·波罗说得对，杭城自古鱼市兴旺，食鱼成风。杭州城北卖鱼桥，即因鱼市而名。《梦粱录》载，市肆中有“城北鱼行”、“坝子桥鲜鱼行”等水产市场，有各类鱼鲞、海味、鲜鱼等水产品55种，足见鱼类之多，鱼市之盛。
　　
　　湖泊美丽 船舫考究
　　
　　作为一个游历家，马可·波罗对杭州的西湖风景和游乐盛况备加关注。他说：“城内有一个美丽、开阔的湖泊，方圆几乎有30里，环湖周围建有许多美丽高大的宫殿，还有许多精美的楼房。他们属于权贵望族和全城居民公有，都造得精妙绝伦，以致无法设计建造比它们更好更富丽豪华的建筑。这些建筑里里外外都装潢得奇妙异常，不可思议。”“湖中央有两座小岛，每个岛上都有精美宫殿，宏伟典雅，富丽气派，装饰得精妙绝伦，就像皇帝的宫殿一样。宫殿里房间厅堂和同廊过道之多，简直令人难以置信。如有哪个权贵富绅想在环境优美之地举办盛大婚礼或任何大型宴饮聚会，他们就到其中一座宫殿去，在那里，他们可隆重而体面地举办他们的婚礼和宴会。那里备有他们宴饮所需的各种家具器什，包括碟子、麻布、盘子，以及习惯所需的其他东西。”“湖中有无数大小游船，供寻胜探幽之需。这些湖船……底阔而平，行驶平稳。如果谁想邀请亲友共度良辰，就可坐这些船舫。船上桌椅俱备，装饰考究，而且备有举行随意小酌的各色器物。船上有平顶，船夫站在上面，用篙撑湖底而行（因为上述湖不过两米深），何去何从，悉听尊便。船顶内壁的颜色和图案，千姿百态，五彩纷呈，所有游船都这样。船内两侧有可随意开关的窗户，游客坐在里面，可一边用餐，一边随意浏览，饱赏沿途万物美景。沿湖的一边是城区，游人站在湖中船上远远地眺望，可见这个城市宏伟壮丽，秀美无比，有许多宫殿、庙宇、庵堂、园苑夹杂其间，树影婆娑，掩映水际。像这样的游船，载着寻欢作乐的游客，在上述湖中，随时随刻都可见到。”马可·波罗所述南宋当时的“山外青山楼外楼，西湖歌舞几时休”的奢华景象，道出了南宋时杭州成为赵宋朝廷偏安之地的真实情景，那时南宋朝廷，不思进取，追欢逐乐，民尚佚乐，追逐浮木，西湖被称为“销金锅”，杭人号为“笼袖娇氏”。“西湖日日船如织”，“罗绮丛中乐事多”，“艳舞消歌乐终日”，“赏玩殆无虚日”。若非亲身游历，马可·波罗不可能说得如此具体、生动、准确。
　　
　　民情温雅 佛寺众多
　　
　　马可·波罗尽管说南宋杭州极其奢华，但对杭州人温文尔雅的“民性”赞赏有加：“男士个个英俊潇洒，女士个个美丽动人，他们衣丝着罗，通体绫罗绸缎。”“由于行在城居民都生性平和，且为其具有同样禀性的国王所潜移默化，故尔都温文尔雅。他们相互友爱，一个街坊犹如一户人家，男女之间，邻里左右，和睦相处。妇女备受尊敬礼遇，她们之间没有任何嫉妒或猜疑，亲密异常。他们对前来经商的外国人平等友好，乐于在家中接待他们，礼敬有加，并为他们经商提供帮助和建议。”
　　马可·波罗在讲述杭城财赋课税时说每年额定的盐课为80万金：除盐课外，岁课总额为210万金。这些讲述与《元史·食货志》所载都基本符合。尽管对岁课210万金没有确切数据可证实，但从仅杭州一地所征酒课达27万余锭、杂课年10余万锭看，马可·波罗的210万金是完全可信的。当时人也赞叹说，杭州“土贡之多”，“尤为天下最”，“民物殷盛，国家经费之所从出。”马可·波罗还说，香料等商税为三十取一，出口商品纳三十分之一的货物税，进口商品征抽十分之一的舶税，这个记述与元代的商税和舶货征抽税率完全一致。看米，他确曾来杭州巡检过岁课，并从市舶司官员处了解了杭州的税收情况。
　　
　　马可·波罗还说到当时杭州的佛寺。他说杭城佛寺众多，居民崇信佛教（即他所谓偶像教）。“环湖地方还有许多佛教的寺院庵堂，数量之多，堪称天下之最，大批僧尼在里面修持。”杭州早在吴越国时，百姓们就笃信佛教，建寺造塔印经无数，号为“东南佛国”；北宋时，杭州已有寺院360多所，苏东坡有“三百六十寺，幽寻遂穷年”的诗句；南宋时佛教尤盛，有大小寺院480余所，僧尼数十万；元代此风依旧，“佛事在东南浙右为盛，浙右钱塘为盛。”除佛、道盛行外，“回回”教（伊斯兰教）、“也里可温”教（基督教聂斯脱里派，即景教）、“术忽”（犹太教）等外来宗教在杭州也有流布。
　　
　　巍峨皇城 宫殿森严
　　
　　马可·波罗在南宋皇城失火焚毁前，在一个杭州富商的陪同下，曾经游览过行宫大内。他说，皇城方圆10里，形状为方形，城墙高而且厚，内分三大部分，有20座大殿，每殿有50个房间，共有上千个房间，可同时容纳万人聚宴，可安置上千宫女。南宋行宫在高宗绍兴年间历时20年兴建才初具规模，宫址为原吴越国千宫和北宋州城。高宗退位后兴建的德寿宫称“北宫”。宫内殿阁、楼堂、亭榭、门廊，大小不一，功用各异。南宋时内宫有多少宫女不得而知，宫廷乐师汪元量曾提到，原有“三千宫女”，宋亡时有“宫女千余”被掳北上，被“分嫁”给大都（北京）的“北匠”，即北方匠人。
　　当然，被后世誉为中世纪西方四大旅行家之首的马可·波罗对杭州的描述，由于语言障碍、记忆漏误、辗转抄译等原因，也有少数夸大失实之处，但这并不能否定游记的真实性，更不能以此怀疑他没有到过杭州。正是他的报道，第一次把天堂杭州介绍给了西方。
　　
　　Hangzhou in the Eyes of Marco Polo
　　By Bao Zhicheng
　　
　　Commonly recognized as a great traveler, Marco Polo was the first Mr. China of the West. In the later 13th century, he traveled all the way from Europe to China in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). He stayed in China for 17 years with the approval of the emperor. During this period, in addition to his extensive tours across China, he also traveled to today’s India and Indonesia as a diplomatic envoy of the Mongolians. His travel across the country enabled him to know a great deal about Beijing and Hangzhou of that time. The West got to know China through the book about his travels. Marco Polo was the first westerner to unravel the mysteries of the Orient and introduce China to the western world.
　　From 1277 to 1278, Marco Polo, appointed as an inspector by the great Khan, traveled to Kinsay, the name of modern Hangzhou during that time. The Italian came to inspect the annual taxation on mineral products and salt in the city. From 1287 to 1289, he traveled to India as an envoy of the Yuan Dynasty. He stopped over in Hangzhou twice from his trip to and from India. In the summer of 1290, he accompanied a Mongolian princess on her way to her wedding in another kingdom and on his way back to China, he came to Hangzhou again.
　　Many pages of The Travel of Marco Polo are devoted to descriptions of the great prosperity of Kinsay. Marco Polo sang of Hangzhou as “The City of the Heaven? He did not speak Chinese. but he must have heard the saying of “Paradise in Heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth? a household phrase known to all the people in China for centuries. That is probably why he said Hangzhou was the city of heaven and Suzhou the city of earth.
　　
　　The City of Heaven
　　Marco Polo described Hangzhou’s geographical features this way: “The position of the city is such that it has on one side a lake of fresh and exquisitely clear water, and on the other a very large river. The waters of the latter fill a number of canals of all sizes which run through the different quarters of the city, carry away all impurities, and then enter the Lake; whence they issue again and flow to the Ocean, thus producing a most excellent atmosphere. By means of these channels, as well as by the streets, you can go all about the city. Both streets and canals are so wide and spacious that carts on the one and boats on the other can readily pass to and fro, conveying necessary supplies to the inhabitants.?Geographically he was correct. Hangzhou is flanked by the Qiantang River in the south and the West Lake on the west and crisscrossed by a network of canals though many of the canals have disappeared due to changes across the city.
　　
　　Markets in Hangzhou
　　In Marco Polo’s description, Hangzhou was a great business center.
　　Fish was a popular food in ancient Hangzhou. A bridge named Fish Market Bridge marks the prosperity of fish markets in ancient Hangzhou. According to one ancient book entitled Records of a Dream of Grandeur, 55 varieties of fish were available on the city’s fish markets. According to Marco Polo, 褾rom the Ocean Sea also come daily supplies of fish in great quantity, brought 25 miles up the river, and there is also great store of fish from the lake, which is the constant resort of fishermen, who have no other business. Their fish is of sundry kinds, changing with the season; and, owing to the impurities of the city which pass into the lake, it is remarkably fat and savory. Any one who 'should see the supply of fish in the market would suppose it impossible that such a quantity could ever be sold; and yet in a few hours the whole shall be cleared away'; so great is the number of inhabitants who are accustomed to delicate living. Indeed they eat fish and flesh at the same meal.?Marco Polo as a taxation inspector knew about Hangzhou’s tax situations. In the book, he talked about the total annual revenue of the city, which is corroborated by the official documents of that time.He also mentioned tax rates levied on freight, traded goods and imported goods, which fit the historical records.
　　
　　The City and the West Lake
　　During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Hangzhou as the empire’s capital was the most opulent metropolis in the country, where many people, led by the ruling class, abandoned themselves to carnival pleasure, fashion, luxury, and intoxicated themselves with gorgeous natural and man-made joys available to them across the city. According to the Italian traveler, “Inside the city there is a Lake which has a compass of some 30 miles [note: probably 30 li] and all round it are erected beautiful palaces and mansions, of the richest and most exquisite structure that you can imagine, belonging to the nobles of the city. There are also on its shores many abbeys and churches of the Idolaters. In the middle of the Lake are two Islands, on each of which stands a rich, beautiful and spacious edifice, furnished in such style as to seem fit for the palace of an Emperor. And when any one of the citizens desired to hold a marriage feast, or to give any other entertainment, it used to be done at one of these palaces. And everything would be found there ready to order, such as silver plates, trenchers, and dishes, napkins and table-cloths, and whatever else was needful.?’On the Lake of which we have spoken there are numbers of boats and barges of all sizes for parties of pleasure. These will hold 10, 15, 20, or more persons, and are from 15 to 20 paces in length, with flat bottoms and ample breadth of beam, so that they always keep their trim. Anyone who desires to go a-pleasuring with the women, or with a party of his own sex, hires one of these barges, which are always to be found completely furnished with tables and chairs and all the other apparatus for a feast. The roof forms a level deck, on which the crew stand, and pole the boat along whithersoever may he desired, for the Lake is not more than 2 paces in depth. The inside of this roof and the rest of the interior is covered with ornamental painting in gay colours, with windows all round that can be shut or opened, so that the party at table can enjoy all the beauty and variety of the prospects on both sides as they pass along. And truly a trip on this Lake is a much more charming recreation than can be enjoyed on land. For on the one side lies the city in its entire length, so that the spectators in the barges, from the distance at which they stand, take in the whole prospect in its full beauty and grandeur, with its numberless palaces, temples, monasteries, and gardens, full of lofty trees, sloping to the shore. And the Lake is never without a number of other such boats, laden with pleasure parties; for it is the great delight of the citizens here, after they have disposed of the day's business, to pass the afternoon in enjoyment with the ladies of their families, or perhaps with others less reputable, either in these barges or in driving about the city in carriages.?Marco Polo’s description of the city fits what Hangzhou really was in reputation and in substance. Without being there, one could not have given such a vivid and truthful account.
　　
　　The People and the Temples
　　The Hangzhou residents in Marco Polo’s book are described as such: “Coth men and women are fair and comely, and for the most part clothe themselves in silk, so vast is the supply of that material, both from the whole district of Kinsay, and from the imports by traders from other provinces.?In his travelogue, Marco Polo mentions religious temples across the city and around the lake. Again this conformed to the popularity of Buddhism in the city since the Northern Song Dynasty. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou was home to 360 Buddhist temples. In the Southern Song Dynasty, the number grew to 480, home to hundreds of thousands of monks and nuns. The religious enthusiasm well lasted into the Yuan Dynasty and different religions co-existed with Buddhism and Taoism as leading religions.
　　
　　The Imperial Palace
　　Before it was destroyed in a fire, Marco Polo, accompanied by a rich business magnate in Hangzhou, visited the imperial palace of the Southern Song Dynasty. According to the Italian, the palace city, sitting in a square area of 10 li, was divided into three parts. The royal palace had 20 grand halls, each with 50 rooms. There was space for 10,000 guests to attend a huge banquet. According to history, the first phase of the royal palace in Hangzhou took more than 20 years to build during the Southern Song Dynasty. There has been no record about the number of maids in the palace, but a court musician mentioned that there used to be 3,000 maids working at the palace. When the Song Dynasty fell to the Mongolian invaders, most of these maids were captured and moved to the north and married to the craftsmen in the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.
　　It should be noted that, due to language barrier, memory lapse, errors in translation and transcripts through various hands, there is some inconsistency between Marco Polo’s account of Hangzhou and the actual facts. However, the authenticity of his travelogue cannot be negated. There is no solid basis to doubt his visits to Hangzhou.
　　
　　(Translated by David)