by Alan Phillips The city of Xi’an was China’s first capital over 2000 years ago.  This is where the first emperor, Qin Shihuang, ruled and it was the capital of China in many later dynasties.  Xi’an was also the starting point of the Silk Road in the Tang dynasty and it was in Xi’an where foreign goods from the far west first appeared.  Along with trade, travelers from the west brought foreign religions such as Buddhism and Islam to China.  […]