Cathay about the country from Chinese books and from conversation with people of all walks of life. During his first 15 years in China (1583–1598) Matteo Ricci formed a strong suspicion that Marco Polo's "Cathay" is simply the "Tatar" (i.e., Mongol) name for the country he was in, i.e. China. Ricci supported his arguments by numerous correspondences between Marco Polo's accounts and his own observations: Most importantly, when the Jesuits first arrived to Beijing 1598, they also met a number of "Mohammedans" or "Arabian Turks" – visitors or immigrants from the Muslim countries to the west of China, who told Ricci
Cathay Organisation company also launched a new corporate identity. Cathay Bowl became Singapore's first bowling centre operator to be awarded ISO 9002 certification by the Productivity and Standards Board (PSB). Cathay took a 19% stake in ACEL International Holdings Ltd, which offered educational enrichment programmes and it was renamed Cathay ACEL Pte Ltd. In 1999, Singapore's first bowling alley to offer cosmic bowling was opened by Cathay Bowl; the 24-lane Cathay Bowl at SAFRA Tampines. That same year, Cathay Cineplex Causeway Point opened marking Cathay Cineplexes' first foray into the suburban districts. Entering the new millennium, Cathay opened its five-screen Mega Pavilion