‘并都’ (bīng dū) is a historical term referring to the ancient capital of the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period (c. 770–476 BCE), located in what is now modern-day Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. Though written with the characters 并 and 都, it is not a compound meaning ‘and capital’ — rather, ‘并’ here is an archaic name for the region (pronounced bīng, not bìng), and ‘都’ means ‘capital’ or ‘metropolis’. This reading reflects classical Chinese phonology and administrative nomenclature, distinct from the modern common pronunciation of 并 as bìng (meaning ‘and’).

The term appears almost exclusively in historical texts, archaeological reports, or scholarly discussions about early Chinese states. It carries strong connotations of antiquity and regional identity, especially in Shanxi’s cultural heritage. Unlike modern place names, ‘并都’ is never used in daily speech or contemporary addresses; it functions purely as a historiographic label, often paired with terms like ‘故都’ (former capital) or ‘古都’ (ancient capital).