Before coming to China, Bechrouri says he was fascinated by the country's ancient civilization, some of which came from a legacy left by Battuta.

"His documented travels connected cultures globally. He didn't just visit China but also Saudi Arabia, Iraq and many other countries repeatedly. Traveling to China then was incredibly difficult, usually limited to trade or pilgrimage via the Silk Road. But Ibn Battuta traveled out of pure curiosity; this was exceptional for that era," Bechrouri notes.

"I saw parallels between the richness of our cultures through his account. In Morocco, when we discuss China, we speak of grand things — positive things passed down through generations," he adds.

Bechrouri says he was particularly impressed, in his teenage years, by Battuta's travelogue's description of Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong province.