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Taiyuan (

During the late Spring and Autumn period Taiyuan became the capital of Zhao. It was constructed by Zhao Jianzi (simplified Chinese: 赵简子; traditional Chinese: 趙簡子) in 497 BC. The city's original name in Zhao was "Jinyang" (simplified Chinese: 晋阳; traditional Chinese: 晉陽), but it was renamed "Taiyuan" following its conquest by Qin in 228 BC.

During the

The old city was at Taiyuanzhen, a few miles east of the modern city. After the Song dynasty conquered China in 960, Emperor Taizong ordered the old city's destruction, but a new city was set up on the banks of the Fen River in 982.^[2]

In 1375, near the beginning of the Ming dynasty, it became the headquarters of the surrounding region.^[3]

In 1900 the

The oldest existing building in the city is the Temple of the Goddess (

1911–1949

The warlord

Yan was aware of the threat posed by the Japanese; and, in order to defend against the impending Japanese invasion of Shanxi, Yan entered into a secret "united front" agreement with the Communists in November 1936. After concluding his alliance with the Communists he allowed agents under Zhou Enlai to establish a secret headquarters in Taiyuan.^[6] Yan, under the slogan "resistance against the enemy and defense of the soil" attempted to recruit young, patriotic intellectuals to his government from across China, so that by 1936 Taiyuan became a gathering point for anti-Japanese intellectuals who had fled from Beijing, Tianjin, and Northeast China.^[7] A representative of the Japanese army, speaking of the final defense of Taiyuan, said that "nowhere in China have the Chinese fought so obstinately".^[8]

From the Japanese occupation of Taiyuan to the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Japanese continued to develop Taiyuan's industries and resources. After the Japanese army in Shanxi surrendered to Yan Xishan, 10,000-15,000 Japanese troops, including both enlisted men and officers, decided to fight for Yan rather than return to Japan. Yan also retained the services of experienced and foreign-educated Japanese technicians and professional staff brought into Taiyuan by the Japanese to run the complex of industries that they had developed around Taiyuan.^[9]

Taiyuan was the last area in Shanxi to resist Communist control during the final stages of the Chinese Civil War. The city fell on April 22, 1949, after the Communists surrounded Taiyuan and cut it off from all means of land and air supply, and taking the city required the support of 1,300 pieces of artillery.^[10] The fall of Taiyuan was one of the few examples in the Chinese Civil War in which Nationalist forces echoed the defeated Ming loyalists who had, in the 17th century, brought entire cities to ruins resisting the invading Manchus. Many Nationalist officers committed suicide when the city fell. The dead included Yan's nephew-in-law, who was serving as governor, and his cousin, who ran his household. Liang Huazhi, the head of Yan's "Patriotic Sacrifice League", had fought for years against the Communists in Shanxi until he was finally trapped in the massively fortified city of Taiyuan. For six months Liang led a savage resistance, leading both Yan's remaining forces and those of the warlord's thousands of Japanese mercenaries. When Communist troops finally broke into the city and began to occupy large sections of it, Liang barricaded himself inside a large, fortified prison complex filled with Communist prisoners. In a final act of self-sacrifice, Liang set fire to the prison and committed suicide as the entire compound burned to the ground.^[11]

1949–present

Since 1949, Taiyuan has developed a large industrial base with heavy industry (notably iron and steel) of prime importance.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2013)

Taiyuan is one of the great industrial cities of China and lies on the Fen River in the north of its fertile upper basin. It is centrally located in Shanxi and commands the north-south route through the province, as well as important natural lines of communication through the Taihang Mountains to Hebei in the east and (via Fenyang) to northern Shanxi in the west.

Climate

Taiyuan experiences a

While the city remains heavily polluted, the situation has improved as a result of factory shutdowns arising from China's hosting of the Olympic Games and the global economic downturn.[14]

Administrative divisions

Map	#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2003 est.)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
	City Proper
	1	Xinghualing District	杏花岭区	Xìnghuālǐng Qū	530,000	170	3,118
	3	Yingze District	迎泽区	Yíngzé Qū	490,000	117	4,188
	Suburban
	2	Xiaodian District	小店区	Xiǎodiàn Qū	470,000	295	1,593
	4	Jiancaoping District	尖草坪区	Jiāncǎopíng Qū	330,000	286	1,154
	5	Wanbailin District	万柏林区	Wànbǎilín Qū	500,000	305	1,639
	6	Jinyuan District	晋源区	Jìnyuán Qū	180,000	287	627
	Satellite cities
	7	Gujiao City	古交市	Gǔjiāo Shì	210,000	1,540	136
	Rural
	8	Qingxu County	清徐县	Qīngxú Xiàn	300,000	607	494
	9	Yangqu County	阳曲县	Yángqǔ Xiàn	140,000	2,062	88
	10	Loufan County	娄烦县	Lóufán Xiàn	120,000	1,290	93

Demographics

The Taiyuan -

Economy

In 2008, Taiyuan's nominal GDP was 146.8 billion yuan, a growth of 8.1% from the previous year. Taiyuan's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 2 billion yuan, 63.9 billion yuan, and 59.6 billion yuan respectively in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Shanxi produces a quarter of China's coal, and Taiyuan is the location of the China Taiyuan Coal Transaction Center, which began trading in 2012.^[15]

Residential Area

The most populated area in Taiyuan is Yinze District which is the downtown of Taiyuan City. Wanbailing and Xinhualing Districts are the other major residential districts. Apartments in high rises are the most common residence for the civics. Rare houses occupied by the government officials can be found along part of the Fen River and the suburbs except the northern area of the city for the high density of heavy industry in the north. The city's most expensive housing area currently is the part of Beidajie Avenue between Fen River and Wuyi Road for the CBD (Central Business District) of the metropolis is being built along the street. The Taiyuan area's most luxurious hotels and restaurants have been built along the avenue with some shopping malls and huge supermarkets surrounding. The City Revenue Agency, the City Procurator Fiscal, City Hall, and several telecommunication companies, such as China Telecom and China Mobile are located along the avenue. The housing price has reached 20000 RMB/^m, roughly equal to $300/^ft.

Transportation

Inner City transportation The Fen River flows through the city from north to south, dividing the city into two parts: Qiaoxi (West of the Bridge) and Qiaodong (East of the Bridge). As of 2007, there are five bridges across the Fen River within the city limits: the Shengli Bridge (1970), the Yifen Bridge (1990), the Yingze Bridge (1954), the Nanneihuan Bridge (1988), and the Changfeng Bridge (2001). About ten kilometers to the north of the Shengli Bridge, there is the Chaicun Bridge. Two more bridges are being planned: Beizhonghuan Bridge and Nanzhonghuan Bridge.

Air The primary airport of the city is

Highway

• A highway circling the metropolis of City of Taiyuan has been built.
• China National Highway 208

Railway The newly constructed

The

• Local Dish: guoyourou (过油肉 stir fried meat)
  • Yang za (羊杂), stir fried mixed mutton offal, is the featured dish in many popular restaurants.
• Starch- or flour-made food:
  mian pi
  (面皮)
• Noodles: daoxiaomian (刀削面, knife-sliced noodles), lamian, maoerduo (猫耳朵, cat-ear shaped noodle), tomato egg noodles (西红柿炒鸡蛋面, noodles with tomato and scrambled eggs), tijian (剔尖, scraped noodles)
• Soup:
  • Tounao (头脑, "brain" soup): Contains
    mutton, rice wine and vegetables in the soup. This dish was first created by Chinese polymath Fu Shan, who was proficient in medicine, for his old and illness-ridden mother as a food substitute for the ancient medicine Bazhen Tang (literally "Soup of Eight Treasures") using only locally available food materials that have similar effects as the original medicine.^[16]
• Vinegar: Of the four kinds of famous vinegar in China, Shanxi aged vinegar or laochencu in Chinese is considered the best.

• Twin Pagoda Temple (双塔寺)^[17]

Located at the southeast of Taiyuan City, there are two 53-meter-tall pagodas. Also known by the name 'Yongzuo Temple', they were built under the Emperor Wanli's order in 1608 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The amazing thing about Twin Pagoda Temple is that they were constructed with bricks.

The best time to pay a visit is in spring (April and May) when all the peony and cloves are in their full bloom. These beautiful flowers are said to have been planted during the Ming Dynasty and their beauty indeed makes the old temple more elegant and appealing.

• Admission Fee: CNY 30 (April 1 to October 31)
• CNY 20 (November 1 to the next March 31)
• Opening Hours: 08:30 to 17:30
• Recommended Time for A Visit: One hour

• Chongshan Monastery (崇善寺）

^[18] Chongshan Monastery is a famous Buddhist temple.It is located in Huangmiao Lane, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan City. Initially built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), also known by the name White Horse Monastery (Baima Si)(白马寺）. Chongshan Monastery represents rare artwork of the Ming Dynasty. It is under the protection of Shanxi Province and home to the Buddhist Association of Shanxi Province.

• Admission Fee: CNY 2
• Bus Routes: 2, 3, 843, 819, 818

• Chunyang Palace （纯阳宫）

It is located in northeast of Wuyi Square，Yingze District，Taiyuan City. Initially built in Song Dynasty (960-1279) , also known by the name Lúzu Temple.Chunyang Palace was expanded in the Qianlong regin (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty. Through small in size, Chunyang Palace is highly spoken because of its well-conceived layout. The palace is till one of the best place for sightseeing in Taiyuan^[19]

• Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 in (summer), 09:00-17:00 (winter)

Museum

• The Coal Museum of China

This is the only national coal museum in China. Tourists can learn how the coal resources are formed. Besides, the large-scale simulated mine is the only and the largest underground simulated mines in China and throughout the world. The facilities are real. It will vividly show tourists the development history of Chinese coal industry. Moreover, tourists can get the experience of digging coal. ^[20]

• Location: No.2 Yingze West Street Taiyuan City
• Open Time: The museum is open for all year from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Ticket: RMB60 Per Person
• Bus route: No.1, 38, 611, 809, 813, 822, 855 and 859.

• Shanxi Museum

Shanxi Museum is the largest center for the collection, preservation, research and exhibition of cultural property in Shanxi Province. The museum has a fascinating collection of around 200,000 pieces of Shanxi cultural relics.The display of the Shanxi Museum is related to the “Soul of Jin (abbreviated name for Shanxi Province)”. It consists of 7 historical subjects and 5 artistic subjects. The historical subjects include “The Cradle of Civilization”, “The Trace of The Xia and Shang Dynasty”, “The Achievements of the Jin Kingdom”, “The Melting Pot of Different Nationalities”, “The Relics of Buddhism”, “The Hometown of Operas” and “The Shanxi Merchants.” The artistic subjects include “Jades”, “Ancient Chinese Porcelains”, “Ancient Architecture”, “Ancient Chinese Currency” and “Ancient Chinese Painting and Calligraphy”. These cultural relics are the most brilliant representatives of Shanxi's history and culture.

   * Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (every day except for Monday)
   * Address: No. 13, north section of West Bin He Road, Taiyuan City (太原市滨河西路北段13号)
   * Bus Transportation: Visitors can take bus No. 865 to get to the museum.

• Shanxi Art Gallery

Education

Major schools

• Affiliated High School of Shanxi University (山西大学附中)
• Taiyuan No. 5 Secondary School
  (太原五中)
• Shanxi Experimental Secondary School (山西省实验中学)
• Taiyuan Foreign Language School (太原外国语学校)

Colleges and universities

• Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
  (山西中医学院)
• Shanxi Medical University (山西医科大学)
• Shanxi University (山西大学)
• Shanxi University of Finance and Economics (山西财经大学)
• Taiyuan Normal University (太原师范学院)
• Taiyuan University of Science and Technology (太原科技大学)
• Taiyuan University of Technology (太原理工大学)
• North University of China (中北大学)

See also

• Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center is one of China's few stations for rocket launch.

International relations

Taiyuan has

• Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
• Douala, Cameroon
• Chemnitz, Germany
• Himeji, Hyōgo
  , Japan
• Saratov, Syktyvkar, Russia
• Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
• Nashville, USA^[22]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taiyuan.

• Taiyuan Government website

Category:Cities in Shanxi Category:Populated places established in the 1st millennium BC Category:Provincial capitals in China