太原,古称大原,《诗经》和《左传》都有记载。山西晋中盆地,东靠太行山脉,西依吕梁山系,北有系舟山,云中山,三面群山合抱,是古大湖"昭余祁薮"原址所在。太原居盆地北部,汾河穿城南流。在汾河两岸台地,发现的后梁和土堂等旧石器地点,是为最早的太原先民。到商周时期,太原地区成为游牧民族的活动区域,史书称之为"大卤",春秋时期开始纳入晋国的版图。公元前497年,晋卿赵简子于晋水之北筑城,名曰"晋阳",太原城市历史从此揭幕。
Taiyuan, known as "Dayuan" in ancient times, is mentioned in both the Book of Songs and Zuo Zhuan. Nestled within the Jinzhong Basin of central Shanxi, the city is flanked by the Taihang Mountains to the east, the Lüliang Mountains to the west, and the Xizhou and Yunzhong mountains to the north—embraced on three sides by ranges that once formed the bed of the ancient "Zhaoyu Qisou" lake. Located in the northern part of the basin, Taiyuan is traversed by the Fen River, which flows southward through the city. On the terraces along the Fen, Paleolithic sites such as Houliang and Tutang have been discovered, marking the earliest traces of Taiyuan's inhabitants. By the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Taiyuan region became a zone of nomadic activity, referred to in historical records as "Dalu." During the Spring and Autumn period, it was incorporated into the territory of the State of Jin. In 497 BCE, Zhao Jianzi, a senior official of Jin, built a city north of the Jin River and named it "Jinyang," thus opening the curtain on Taiyuan's urban history.