Cathay "Pratica della mercatura", a guide about trade in China, a country he called "Cathay", noting the size of Khanbaliq (modern Beijing) and how merchants could exchange silver for Chinese paper money that could be used to buy luxury items such as silk. Words related to Khitay are still used in many Turkic and Slavic languages to refer to China. However, its use by Turkic speakers within China, such as the Uyghurs, is considered pejorative by the Chinese authority who had tried to ban it. As European and Arab travelers started reaching the Mongol Empire, they described the Mongol-controlled Northern China
Cathay Organisation Cinema at City Square in Johor Bahru, Malaysia in 2000. Over in Singapore, Cathay received license from the Singapore Broadcasting Authority to operate video-on demand service in Singapore from June 2001. The company also launched its automated phone booking system for movie tickets while Cathay Cineplex Cineleisure Orchard underwent a facelift. Cathay Cineplexes became the first cineplex operator in Singapore to achieve ISO 9002 certification. That same year, the Cathay Building on Handy Road closed for re-development. The following year, Cathay Cineplexes launched it e-Ticketing facility on its website for customers to purchase movie tickets online. Cathay Bowl opened 24