NOTE: There are a number of Temples that fo by this name, this entry is for the one in Fújiàn 福建
Kāiyuán sì 開元寺
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Kāiyuán sì 開元寺 and a short statement about this temple.
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In 736 (Kāiyuán 開元 26), Emperor Xuánzōng 玄宗 (r. 713-756) of the Táng 唐 Dynasty ordered that each province in the country name one temple after the current reign name, Kāiyuán 開元. Thus, there were originally a number of different temples that what by this same name. In modern times, the one in Quánzhōu 泉州 is one of the most famous. This temple had originally been established in 686 (Chuígǒng 垂拱 2) during the de facto reign of Empress Wǔzétiān 武則天. it was built in the mulberry garden of one Huáng Shǒugōng 黃守恭, whose trees began blossoming as white lotuses after Huáng saw a monk in a dream. The temple was thus originally called Liánhuá Temple 蓮花寺.
Over the years the temple was continually expanded. In (1285/Zhìyuán 至元 22) the temple and an ajoining branch temple were merged into the Dà kāiyuán wànshòu chán Temple 大開元萬壽禪寺. it became one of the four largest temples in China at the time.