Marco Polo did not "discover" new lands in the sense of being the first European to reach them, but his major contribution was providing Europe with a detailed and vivid account of the geography, cultures, and innovations of Asia, especially China. He traveled along the Silk Road and spent 17 years in China during the reign of Kublai Khan. Among the notable things he recorded and introduced to Europeans were:

• The use of paper money, which was new to Europe at the time, used in the Yuan Dynasty in China.
• The existence of porcelain, gunpowder, and coal.
• The Mongol postal system, which impressed him with its efficiency.
• Exotic animals like crocodiles (in what is now Yunnan, China), spices, and Asian plants.
• Different marriage customs and social customs in Asia.
• His detailed descriptions of Asian geography, cities, and customs helped inspire further European exploration and influenced European cartography.

In short, Marco Polo "discovered" and documented for Europe many cultural, economic, and technological aspects of Asia rather than discovering unknown continents or new lands.