Xi'an that exists today was once the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, a 6,400km trading route that linked China with the Roman Empire. It brought new cultures and religions into China – many of which continue to thrive today. The country’s 10 million ethnic Chinese Muslims can largely link their religion back to the Arab and Persian traders that spread various elements of Islam as they travelled along the Silk Road. Today, about 70,000 of China's ethnic Muslims live in Xi’an’s Muslim quarter, a bustling district that palpitates with energy and character