T'AI-YAN

Pinyin Taiyuan city and capital of Shansi sheng (province), China. T'ai-yan, one of the greatest industrial cities in China, lies on the Fen River in the north of its fertile upper basin. It commands the north-south route through Shansi, as well as important natural lines of communication through the mountains to Hopeh province in the east andvia Fen-yangto northern Shensi province in the west. The city was originally the site of Chin-yang, a strategic centre for the ancient state of Chao. After the Ch'in conquest of Chao in 221 BC, it became the seat of the commandery (district under the control of a commander) of T'ai-yan, which continued during the Han dynasty (206 BCAD 220) and after. In the Later Han period, it became capital of the province (chou) of Ping. In the 6th century it was for a time a secondary capital of the Eastern Wei and Northern Ch'i states, growing into a large city and also becoming a centre of Buddhism. From that time until the middle of the T'ang dynasty (618907), the construction of the cave temples at T'ien-lung Mountain, southwest of the city, continued. The dynastic founder of the T'ang began his conquest of the empire with T'ai-yan as a base and using the support of its local aristocracy. It was periodically designated as the T'ang's northern capital and grew into a heavily fortified military base. The old city was at T'ai-yan-chen, a few miles east of the modern city. After the Sung conquest in 960, a new city was set up on the banks of the Fen in 982. The city became a superior prefecture in 1059 and administrative capital of Ho-tung (northern Shansi) in 1107. It retained this function, with various changes in its name and status, down to the end of the Mongol period (1368). At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (13681644), it was renamed T'ai-yan Fu (fu meaning chief town) and retained this name until 1912. Under the Ming dynasty and in the Ch'ing period (16441911), it was capital of Shansi. Under the republic (established in 1911), its name was changed to Yang-ch', a name it retained until 1947. In 1907 the importance of T'ai-yan was increased by the construction of a rail link to Shih-chia-chuang, in Hopeh, on the Peking to Wu-han trunk line. Soon thereafter T'ai-yan suffered a serious economic crisis. In the 19th century the merchants and local banks of Shansi had been of national importance, but the rise of modern banks led to the rapid decline of this systemwith disastrous effects upon Shansi and its capital. After 1911 Shansi remained under a powerful warlord, Yen Hsi-shan, who retained control from 1913 to 1948. T'ai-yan consequently flourished as the centre of his comparatively progressive province and experienced extensive industrial development. It was also linked by rail both to the far southwest of Shansi and to Ta-t'ung in the north. After the Japanese invasion in 1937, T'ai-yan's industries developed still further. In 1945 the Japanese army in Shansi surrendered to Yen Hsi-shan and continued to fight for him until 1948. Eventually, the Chinese Communist armies captured T'ai-yan, but only after a destructive battle. Since 1949 T'ai-yan has developed a large industrial base with heavy industry (notably iron and steel) of prime importance; local coal production is considerable. T'ai-yan is also an engineering centre, produces cement, and has a large chemical-industrial complex. It is also a centre of education and research, particularly in technology and applied science. Pop. (1990 est.) 1,533,884.