Meanings
- alternativeAlternative form of Taiyuan.
T'ai-yüan was an area traditionally associated with the legendary sage ruler Yao, also known as 'T'ang Yao' (Yao of T'ang) because he had once resided there at a place called T'ang.
1979, Denis Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, volume 3, Cambridge University Press, published 1997, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 1563 more examples
Mr. Carles has alluded to a curious faculty certain small Chinese towns possess of attracting to themselves special trades, in face of the fact that there is no ostensible reason why a particular trade should go to that particular place. A very good illustration hereof is furnished by Chiao ch’eng, a name constantly recurring in connection with the skin trade. It is a small district city south of T’ai-yüan, the capital of Shanhsi, which in the course of the last few years has become a busy commercial centre, to the great perturbation of a recently arrived magistrate, who has discovered that increased trade means increased cost of living and is therefore bad for the people.
1904 March [1904 January 9], J. W. Jamieson, “Notes on the Foreign Trade of Tientsin for the Years 1900-03 by Mr. J. W. Jamieson, Commercial Attaché to H.M.'s Legation at Peking”, in China: Notes on the Foreign Trade of Tientsin during the Years 1900-03, number 3127, London, →OCLC, page 24Part of the country between Fên-chou and T'ai-yüan is famous as being the finest grape-producing district in North China, and we were able to indulge in the luscious fruit at a halfpenny per pound!
1912, Robert Sterling Clark, Arthur de Carle Sowerby, Through Shên-kan: The Account of the Clark Expedition in North China, 1908-9., T. Fisher Unwin, page 78In the Duke of T'ang he recognized a true leader and sealed the alliance by inviting him to his home in T'ai-yüan when Li Yüan was on his way to Long-men to quash the rebellion there.
2007, Nigel Cawthorne, The Daughter of Heaven, Oneworld Publications, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 7
Origin
- Mandarin太原
- EnglishT'ai-yüan
From Mandarin 太原 (Tàiyuán), Wade–Giles romanization: Tʻai⁴-yüan².
More words from Mandarin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
T'ai-yüan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/T'ai-y%C3%BCan
“T'ai-yüan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/T'ai-y%C3%BCan. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “T'ai-yüan,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/T'ai-y%C3%BCan.
Source: T'ai-yüan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.