Taiyuan

The two Chinese characters of the city's name are 太 (tài, "great") and 原 (yuán, "plain"), referring to the location where the Fen River leaves the mountains and enters a relatively flat plain. Throughout its long history, the city had various names, including Bīngzhōu (并州) (from which its abbreviated single-character name Bīng (并) is derived), Jìnyáng (晋阳), and Lóngchéng (龙城). During the Tang and subsequent Five Dynasties, the status of the city of Taiyuan was elevated to be the northern capital, hence the names Běidū (北都) and Běijīng (北京, different from present-day Beijing).

Taiyuan is an ancient city with more than 2,500 years of urban history, dating back to 497 BC. It was the capital or secondary capital (陪都, 别都) of Zhao, Former Qin, Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Jin, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Northern Han. Its strategic location and rich history make Taiyuan one of the economic, political, military, and cultural centers of northern China. From about 859 BC, the area around modern-day Taiyuan was occupied by the Rong people. In 662 BC, these were driven out by the Di people. In 497 BC, the first ancient city of Jinyang was built around the southern Jinyuan district of present-day Taiyuan by Dong Anyu (董安于), who was a steward of Zhao Jianzi (赵鞅), an upper-level official of the state of Jin. …

Taiyuan lies on the Fen River in the north of its fertile upper basin. The city is located at the center of the province, with an east–west span of 144 km (89 mi) and a north–south span of 107 km (66 mi). It commands the north–south route through the province as well as important natural lines of transportation through the Taihang Mountains to Hebei in the east and to northern Shaanxi in the west. Taiyuan is abundant in natural resources such as coal, iron, marble, silica, bauxite, limestone, graphite, quartz, phosphorus, gypsum, mica, copper, and gold. It boasts high production of coal, iron, silica, and marble. The western satellite city of Gujiao is the largest production site of metallurgical coal in China. The tree population in Taiyuan is dominated by coniferous forest, which includes pine, white pine, spruce, and cypress. …

Taiyuan's local specialities include: Tomato egg noodles (Chinese: 西红柿炒鸡蛋面; pinyin: xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn miàn; lit. 'noodles with tomato and scrambled eggs') Tijian (剔尖; tī jiān; 'scraped noodles') Dao Xiao noodles (刀削面; dāo xiāo miàn) Tounao (头脑; tóu nǎo; 'brain'): Contains mutton, rice wine, and vegetables. This dish was created by the polymath Fu Shan, who was proficient in medicine, for his old and sickly mother. Lao Chen Cu mature vinegar (老陈醋; lǎo chén cù) Yuci flour sausage (榆次灌肠; Yú Cì guàn cháng) Fried pork with vegetables (过油肉; guò yóu ròu) Mutton soup (羊肉汤; yángròu tāng)

Consistent with China's economic expansion throughout the 2010s, Taiyuan's economy has seen steady growth. In 2018, the city's GDP was worth 388.450 billion yuan, more than double what it was in 2010. Disposable income per capita was reported to be 31,031 yuan in 2018, a 7.2% increase from 2017. In 2015, Taiyuan imported 4,085.130 million USD worth of goods and exported the equivalent of 6,592.250 million USD. Taiyuan's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 3.9 billion yuan, 105.2 billion yuan, and 132.2 billion yuan, respectively, in 2007. 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.

Taiyuan is a modern city with only a few historic buildings remaining in the centre. The remnants of old Taiyuan can be found west of the central station, north of Fudong Street, and close to Wuyi Road. One of the main tourist destinations is Shanxi Museum, located on West Binhe Road, in downtown Taiyuan, which is among the largest museums in China. The twin towers in Yongzuo Temple, which are featured on the city's emblem, are regarded as a symbol of Taiyuan. The temple is southeast of the city centre. Chongshan Monastery, Longtan Park, and Yingze Park, in the city centre, are popular tourist destinations. Jinci Temple and Christ's Church, Jinyuan, are both located in the Jinyuan District of southern Taiyuan. The district is also home to the Flying Bridge Across the Fish Pond, built during the Song dynasty. …