Taiyuan

Capital of Shanxi province, north China, on the River Fen He; population (2000) 2,538,300. Lying in a rich coal and iron-mining district, it is one of the most important centres of heavy industry in the north; heavy and agricultural machinery, iron, steel, and textiles are produced. It is the seat of Shanxi University.

History Formerly a walled city, founded in the 3rd century BC, its history was dominated by its strategic importance commanding an invasion route into north China. It was also a centre of Buddhism under the Northern Wei dynasty (386-535). At the beginning of the 9th century, Taiyuan was the centre of a revolt against the Tang dynasty. It was not reunited with the rest of China until 979 under the second Song emperor, who destroyed the city and diverted the Fen He River to wash away all traces. The city was rebuilt on a new site in 982. Taiyuan became capital of Shanxi province under the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). In 1644 it was the location of an uprising against the Ming, which was suppressed by the Manchu invaders who established the Qing dynasty; the event was commemorated as a holiday in Taiyuan until the end of the Qing period.