Ch'ang-an

One of the former capital cities in imperial China, now the modern city of Hsien (or Xi'an). A flourishing trade centre located in the north west of China at the eastern end of the Silk Road, Ch'ang-an was an important early centre of Buddhism. monks arriving there with trading caravans from India and central Asia brought scriptures and religious objects with them which attracted the attention of local gentry and stimulated curiosity about Buddhist teachings.