The Yuan dynasty was established in China by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan after Mongol warriors had swept into China from the north. Kublai Khan ruled China as part of the huge Mongol Empire. The Yuan period marked the first time that all China came under foreign rule.<NP> In China, Kublai Khan encouraged commerce and cultural exchange with other civilized peoples. During the Yuan dynasty, Europeans became increasingly interested in China as a result of the reports of Marco Polo and other European travelers and traders.<NP> For more information, see the section <I>Later empire</I> in MONGOL EMPIRE.
