The Stone Bridge
When Marco Polo describes a bridge, "stone by stone," Kublai Khan is not interested in the small parts. Instead, he focuses on the arch that they form: "It is only the arch that matters to me." However, Polo points out that without the different pieces, there would be no arch. In general, the parable symbolizes the relationship between the individual and the collective, which may indicate that the emperor has lost his connection with the individual towns and territories of his realm and is only focusing on his empire as a whole.
Marozia
The city of "Marozia consists of two cities, the rat's and the swallow's; both change with time, but their relationship does not change; the second is the one about to free itself from the first." While the rat symbolizes life in a decayed, cramped and confined environment, the swallow signifies a life of freedom and grace. Their relationship, therefore, symbolizes the struggle toward a better life.
Symbols of Tamara
Tamara is a city of symbols. Marco Polo lists their meaning: "The embroidered headband stands for elegance; the gilded palanquin, power; the volumes of Averroes, learning; the ankle bracelet, voluptuousness." They are true symbols in the sense that the connection between the signifier and the signified are arbitrary. In contrast to them, Polo has previously described icons, which still resemble the signified, and trees and stones, which "are only what they are." The whole description of Tamara is, therefore, a short digression concerning semiotics.
Kublai Khan's Atlas
The emperor's atlas is a symbol of places in time, as it contains maps of lands that do not exist any longer, maps of current territories, and maps of lands that exist only in thought. Therefore, it signifies where humanity was, where it is now, and where it might be in the future.
The Protagonists as Symbols
Marco Polo and Kublai Khan may be based on the historical figures, but because Polo in particular refers to modern phenomena such as airports as well, both should rather be interpreted as symbols: While Marco Polo signifies knowledge, Kublai Khan signifies power.
