Taiyuan, a prefecture-level city whose name means Broad, or Big, Plains, is the capital of Shanxi Province. The city is located near the center (north-south and east-west) of the province, and at the intersection of the province's two main interprovincial highways, G307, which traverses the province in an east-west direction, and G208, which traverses the province in a north-south direction. Taiyuan is not only the transportational hub of the province, but its economic, cultural, educational, technological, informational and political nexus. The city has an ancient history, having been established in 500 BCE, circa, during the end of the Spring and Autumn (BCE 770-476) Period and the beginning of the Warring States (BCE 475-221) Period of the Eastern Zhou (BCE ... [ View Details ]