Shanxi Travel Guide
Taiyuan is prized the 'City of Dragon ' for that many emperors took their throngs here.
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| Taiyuan, China |
It is said that when the saint 'Yu' divided the world in to 9 states, Taiyuan was the state 'Bingzhou' At 'Xizhou' period,( 1066-771 BC), the place belonged to 'Tang' ; At later Spring and Automn Period, ( 497 BC), Dong An, a noble family manager of Zhao Jianzi created a city called Jinyang for capital of State Zhao. Till 248 BC,
Taiyuan was set as county and was confirmed to be Taiyuan county at the Qin dynasty, Qin Shihuang Unifiedwhen China in 221 BC. At Han Dynasty, Taiyuan was capital at times during 534-550 AD, Beiqi, 550 ~ 557 AD. It was enlarged at Shui, and Tang dynasties, inner and outer cities in 3 layers across each bank of the Fenhe river. Till the Tang' s father, and son empoers 'Li Shimin, 617 AD, Taiyuan was entiltled as 'Beidu' ; then capital and ' Beijing ' in 742 AD. It was also called as '3-capitals' with ther other 2 ' Luoyang and Changan. The name 'Tang' for calling Chinese abroad was adopted here. Taiyan kept being capital at times like the Five - Generation period-923 - 950 AD and Later Tang, later Jin, and Northern Han dynasties. During the 19-year war by empoer Zhao Kuangyin, at Song dynasty, in 797 AD, Taiyuan was conquered and the Northern Han ruled by Qidan(Mongolian) was destroyed. Ending the Five - Generation period and the splited situation, Taiyuan city along was destroyed. In 982 AD, Zhao Guangyi, was afraid of other 'Son of Heaven' - emperor to be born, he demolished the historical city and leveled the hill at northwest corner; to settle the refugees he set up a small town 25 km north called Tang Ming Town , the place where Taiyuan is at present. Because of the strategicall situation, civil engineering was again launched by Song Renzong to have built the ' Splendid City Taiyuan' At the time of Ming, Dynasty, 1368- 1644 AD, emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, entitled his 3rd son, Zhu Gang as 'King of Jin' , that away, Taiyuan was further enlarged. There was a enclosure wall of 12 km with a height of 12 m and 8 gates around. At time of Qing dynasty, 1644 - 1911 AD, the period1644 - 1911 AD and the contemporary , 1 911 - now ,Taiyuan became essential township geologically and economically. In 1927 Taiyuan gained the standard status of the prefecture asa city.
