Linfen, city, southern Shanxi sheng (province), China. It is situated on the east bank of the Fen River about 140 miles (220 km) south of Taiyuan, the provincial capital.
The Fen River valley was one of the earliest centres of Chinese civilization, being the site of well-developed prehistoric (Paleolithic and Neolithic) cultures and of Shang (c. 1600–1046 bce) settlements. The antiquity of Linfen was proverbial, even in early times, when it was believed to have been the capital of the legendary sage-emperor Yao. In the 4th century bce it was the site of Pingyang city, the capital of the fief state of Han during the Warring States (Zhanguo) period. Under the unified empire of the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) it became a county (xian) of the same name. In 248 it became a commandery (district under the control of a commander).
After various administrative changes the county was first given the name Linfen in 583, whereas Pingyang remained the name of the commandery of which it was the administrative centre. Under the Tang dynasty (618–907) the prefecture based on Linfen was called Jin. During the late Tang and the Five Dynasties period (Wudai; 907–960), because of the city’s strategic location commanding the approaches to Taiyuan, it became an important garrison and was often under military administration. During the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties, it was the centre of the superior prefecture of Pingyang. The Ming built strong walls, some 4 miles (6 km) in circumference, and in early Qing times settlement extended beyond the walls.
In 1853, however, the northern expedition of the Taiping armies passed through the city, leaving a trail of destruction; further damage was caused in the 1860s during the Nian Rebellion. In the late 19th century the city sharply declined in importance, and, after the beginning of the Chinese republic in 1911, it was reduced to the status of a county town. In the late 1930s it had fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, and a great part of the area within the walls was wasteland. At that time it was a medium-sized market centre, dealing in local grain and cotton; it was notable mainly for its great cattle fair held every spring, which attracted traders from southern Shaanxi and western Henan provinces.
The arrival in 1935 of the railway from Taiyuan through the Fen River valley and the later development of highways centring on Linfen increased its commercial importance. The city was completely devastated by the Japanese in World War II but was subsequently rebuilt. Rich coal deposits had been discovered in the area before the war, and afterward local coal production increased steadily. In the late 1950s food processing and the manufacture of agricultural implements began, and by the 1960s the city had begun to develop a considerable industrial output. Other principal industries include metallurgy, machine manufacture, and the production of electric power. Pop. (2002 est.) city, 323,671; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 834,000.