Theoretically, there should be many "Taiyuan (Dayuan)" in China, and it doesn't refer to cities, but refers to vast plains. But in ancient books, because of the importance of this name, it has not been abused.
The Book of Songs Xiaoya June describes the struggle between the Zhou Dynasty and the armadillo, and there are two sections describing the aggression and anti-aggression of both sides:
Xianyun is not weak, Coke is ready to get ready. The target pickaxe landed and soon reached Jingyang. The birds on our flag are bright with white ribbons. We have ten times as many troop carriers, and it is difficult to keep up with the charge.
Our personnel carriers are safe regardless of height. The four horses strode with great strides and were very docile. Attack the fairy cloud and drive straight into Taiyuan. All civil and military officials are Yin Jifu, and all countries follow this example.
The following are a series of place names of the Zhou Dynasty: Jiaohuo, Jiaohuoze, a famous swamp in ancient times, mainly where water mirrors gathered; Pickaxe, the capital of the Zhou emperor; Fang, should be the ambassador of protecting the country around. At that time, there were dozens of countries (cities) named Ji near Haojiang. Jingyang, north of water mirror.
There is also a well-known name: Dayuan, which is Taiyuan. In ancient times, Taihe Da was always interchangeable in some grand expressions. "Sparse armadillos, as for Dayuan" means chasing armadillos and arriving in Taiyuan. Armadillo (xiǎn yǔn y ǔ n y ǔ n), also known as "? Xian, Xian, Hun, Hunzhou, Xiang, Yu Xun and Yan Yun were all transliterated names of a nomadic tribe at that time.
So where did the Zhou army chase the armadillos? Let's first look at another earlier war recorded in Spring and Autumn Annals.
The book "Spring and Autumn Period Zhao Gongnian" records: "Jin Xun's teacher lost his virtue in the road." This passage and three biographies of the Spring and Autumn Period were interpreted respectively.
"Zuo Zhuan in the Spring and Autumn Period" said: "Jinzhong is defeated endlessly, and the group is in Dayuan."
"Biography of the Spring and Autumn Valley Liang" said: "China is called Dayuan, and Yidi is called Dalu. No. From China, named after the owner. "
"The Biography of the Spring and Autumn Ram" said: "The commander-in-chief Jin Xun lost his virtue in Dawan. Is this big bittern also called Dayuan? Features come from China, where people are named after their owners. What is' original'? The upper level is called Yuan, and the next level is called Ji. "
Among the three explanations, it is clearly pointed out that "Dalu" is "Dayuan", Dalu is the name of Yidi, and Dayuan (Taiyuan) is our own name. So why do nomadic tribes call it "the road"? Because there is one thing they really want: salt. Guang Yun: "Halogen, salt also." As we know, Yuncheng Salt Lake was the main salt-producing base in China from the Yanhuang period to the Tang Dynasty. For Central Plains people, Yuncheng Basin and Linfen Basin are still the most important agricultural land after Guanzhong Basin.
But this is only Yuncheng basin, not Linfen basin. "Shangshu Gong Yu": "Self-built Taiyuan, as for Yueyang." What is recorded here is the situation of the land after Dayu's flood control: Taiyuan was built in Yueyang. Yue in ancient books is Taiyue Mountain in central Shanxi, also known as Huotai Mountain and Huoshan Mountain. Yueyang is in the south of Taiyue Mountain. In fact, the main residence of Dayu people at that time was Dayuan in Yuncheng and Linfen.
The word "Taiyuan" is also related to a historical event of the transition from well field system to poll tax. "Mandarin Zhou Yu" said: "Wang Xuan lost his teacher in the south and looked at Taiyuan." This means that when Zhou Xuanwang attacked Jianghan area, he was almost completely annihilated, so he "expected people to be in Taiyuan". The "expected person" and "Taiyuan" here have different interpretations in history. For example, some people say that Taiyuan is a flat ground for ordinary people to get together and choose soldiers. This is obviously a complete misunderstanding of these two words. The expected population here should tax the population including slaves. Taiyuan refers to Yuncheng and Linfen areas within Zhou Xuanwang's sphere of influence.
At the beginning of this paper, the son of heaven in the Book of Songs Xiaoya June, who "cut the armadillo thinly, but as for the big yuan", is Zhou Xuanwang himself who wants to "depend on others". It should be no different for the same emperor to visit Taiyuan twice.
Then why was it later called Taiyuan Taiyuan? The reason is that the ancients liked to bring place names when they moved. Both Taiyuan, Tang Dynasty and Jin Dynasty came from Yuncheng and Linfen, and were brought to Taiyuan today by Jin people.
Refer to "Golden Water Examination"