Taihang Mountains
mountain range
The Taihang Mountains (Chinese: 太行山; pinyin: Tàiháng Shān) are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 kilometers (250 mi) from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 m (4,900 to 6,600 ft); its principal peak is Mount Xiaowutai. The Taihang's eastern peak is Mount Cangyan in Hebei; Baishi Mountain forms its northern tip.
History
185 rebels of the Yellow Turban are defeated by the imperial army, but only two months later, the rebellion breaks out again. It spreads to the Taihang Mountains on the western border of Hebei Province.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Taihang Mountains were the site of a successful ambush against Japanese troops by the Eighth Route Army in Huangtuling.
Background
The Taihang Mountains were formed during the Jurassic. Brown forest and Cinnamon soils are found here.
The name of Shanxi Province, meaning "west of the mountains", derives from its location west of the Taihang Mountains. The name of Shandong Province (east of the mountains) originally applied to the area east of the Xiao Mountains, but by the Tang dynasty it refers to the area east of the Taihang Mountains; this entity evolved into the modern-day Shandong Province, though the actual border of the province has moved considerably to the east.
“Taihang Mountains” enters the record as mountain range. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Taihang, Mountains and mountain can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Taihang Mountains” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Taihang, Mountains and mountain provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q284226. VIAF identifies the subject as 316747083. The Library of Congress control number is sh88001315. Authority coordinates are 36.994, 113.928. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Taihang Mountains”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Taihang Mountains primary sources, Taihang Mountains archive and Taihang research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Taihang Mountains”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Taihang Mountains” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.