Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province. It is reputed as a colorful and glorious Taiyuan City since the ancient time.

Taiyuan, called Jinyang in ancient times, is an ancient city. It was initially established in 497 B.C. as Jinyang city, and in the early Warring States Period was the capital of Zhao State. Though it was later reduced to a municipality under the auspices of the Qin Emperor (Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China), it rose again a thousand years later as the capital of the Tang Dynasty, whose ascension marked the beginning of what is known as the zenith of ancient Chinese culture.