Taiyuan History

Taiyuan, firstly established at the end of Spring and Autumn Period, 497BC, was once named “Jinyang” as it was located in the north of Jin River. In 221BC, the First Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) united China, and Taiyuan became one of the 36 counties set up by the Qin Shi Huang.

Taiyuan was a secondary capital of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi states, gradually growing into a large city. In 617, Li Yuan and his sons organized an insurrection against Sui Dynasty in Taiyuan. Soon they captured the capital city, Changan, and established the strongest empire in Chinese history, Tang Dynasty. Therefore, Taiyuan was treated as an auspicious place by most of Tang emperors. Emperor Taizong, Emperor Gaozong, Wu Zetian and Emperor Xuanzong all perambulated Taiyuan and sent officials to expand and renovate Taiyuan. Taiyuan became the third large city after Changan and Luoyang.

However, Taiyuan was once destroyed in 979. At that time, Taiyuan was controlled by North Han, and it cost 5 months of Song Taizong to suppress the insurrection of North Han. After the hard attack on North Han, the emperor turned his anger upon Taiyuan and ordered to destroy the city. Taiyuan with 1500 history was entirely perished. The city could be destroyed, but its important military status was unchangeable. In 982, a general of Song Dynasty rebuilt the new Taiyuan in Tang Ming town, north of the old site.

In the initial Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu sited nine military towns alongside the Great Wall to defense Mongolia, and Taiyuan was one of the nines. The emperor conferred a title “Jin Gong Monarch” upon his third son and ordered to enlarge Taiyuan. Therefore, based on the old city, Taiyuan was expanded to south, north and east, and “Splendid Taiyuan City” was finally formed with 8 gates, 4 turrets and 12 gate towers. Besides, many preserved relics in today’s Taiyuan were built in Ming Dynasty, such as Yongzuo Temple, the Temple of Goddess and Chongshan Temple. The expansion on Taiyuan during the Ming period laid the foundation for today’s Taiyuan, and many streets are still using the old name in Ming Dynasty.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the handicraft industry and commerce in Taiyuan had well-developed since Taiyuan was an important military town and the city of Jin Business. The talented literature masters and plenty of Jin businessmen were conspicuous in Taiyuan’s history. Luo Guanzhong achieved insurmountable heights in the field of culture.

In the war of terminating the last feudal dynasty, Taiyuan was the fifth city that held the armed uprising, making a huge effect throughout China. In 1927, Taiyuan was firstly pronounced by the Government of the Republic to a municipality. With the failure in Taiyuan Campaign in 1937, Taiyuan had been occupied by Japanese for 8 years, and after Japanese unconditionally surrendered in August 15, 1945, Taiyuan recovered.

In April 24, 1949, People’s Liberation Army released Taiyuan from the 38 years’ domination of Shanxi warlord, Yan Xishan, and the old city was born-again!
 

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