Marco Polo, the world-famous Italian traveler and explorer of the 13th century, visited Hangzhou on his travels. He was overwhelmed by what he saw, and referred to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world". His reaction aroused an enduring desire among Europeans to see the city for themselves. 700 years later, a “modern Marco Polo” has been given the opportunity to enjoy this privilege, and earn himself 40,000 euros into the bargain.

The Hangzhou Travel Committee launched a search for the “modern Marco Polo - Doctor of Hangzhou” last March, and promised a salary of 40,000 euros (340,000 RMB) to the successful candidate. The invitation attracted 25,924 hopefuls.

Liam Bates (Chinese name Li Mu), a young man from Switzerland, was hired by the city after seeing off all challengers. He will market Hangzhou to the world as the “Doctor of Hangzhou”, by sharing his experiences in the city.

To take the title required four qualities: to be an admirer of Hangzhou’s overseas social networking platforms, to score well in games about Hangzhou culture over the course of a year, to be active on social networking platforms, and to come up with creative videos and attractive overseas marketing plans for Hangzhou.

Deputy director of the Hangzhou Travel Committee Zhao Hongzhong said that the spirit of Marco Polo will be exploited to speak for tourism in Hangzhou and exhibit the city to the world.

The successful candidate, Liam Bates, came to China on his own at the age of 16. He has studied Chinese Kongfu, cross talk, and erhu, and he loves Chinese tea. He speaks Chinese with a Beijing lilt. He says that he came to China at the same age as Marco Polo, and like his Venetian forebear, he also loves Chinese culture.

According to The Travels of Marco Polo, Marco Polo traveled southward along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and reached Quanzhou in Fujian province. He marveled at every town he passed, and found that Hangzhou was the most prosperous.

The new “Doctor of Hangzhou” will also revisit the canal, following in Marco Polo’s tracks.

Zhao Hong said that the travels of “the modern Marco Polo” could also help the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to win recognition as a world heritage site.

Hangzhou has been listed twice as the most popular tourist destination in China by TripAdvisor, the biggest media site in world tourism.

This article is edited and translated from 杭州4万欧元年薪聘“当代马可·波罗”全球营销; Source: China News Service.