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 commercial and residential properties held by its affiliated companies in 1994. Orchard Cinema closed its doors in 1995 for redevelopment. In 1997, Cathay Cineleisure Orchard opened at the former Cathay Cinema site with the 6-screen Cathay Cineplex. That same year, Cathay opened its 6-screen cineplex, Mega Pavilion Cinema in Kompleks Bukit Jambul in Penang, Malaysia. A year later, Mega Pavilion Cinema opened at Megamal Pinang, Penang. Cathay opened a 34 lane bowling alley in Endah Parade, Kuala Lumpur in 1998. The Orchard Cineplex (Hall 3 & 6) and The Picturehouse were named "The Best Screens" in a survey conducted by