Kaiyuan si 開元寺

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 Location: Fújiàn 福建, Quánzhōu 泉州 Other names: * Liánhuá sì 蓮花寺 (686/Chuígǒng 垂拱 2) Xīngjiào sì 興教寺 (692/Chángshòu 長壽 1) Lóngxīng sì 龍興寺 (705/Shénlóng 神龍 1) Dà kāiyuán wànshòu chán sì 大開元萬壽禪寺(1285/Zhìyuán 至元 22)

First Founded 686 (Chuígǒng 垂拱 2)

Lineage: zōng 宗, pài 派, etc. Status: Public (十方叢林) or private (子孫廟)

Institution section editor: Erik Hammerstrom

Kāiyuán sì 開元寺 and a short statement about this temple.

Contents 1 History 2 Personnel 2.1 Important Abbots 2.2 Notable Residents 3 Temple Institution 3.1 Important Buildings or Artifacts 3.2 Associated Organizations and Groups 4 Notes 5 References

History

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.

Personnel

Important Abbots

Notable Residents

Temple Institution

Important Buildings or Artifacts

Associated Organizations and Groups

Notes

References

• Luó Zhéwén 羅哲文, et. al. Zhōngguó zhùmíng fójiào sìmiào 中國著名佛教寺廟 (Famous Buddhist Temples of China). Beijing: Zhongguo chengshi, 1995. Pp. 197-202.
• Sū Zhèshēng 蘇浙生. Shénzhōu fójìng 神州佛鏡 (Buddhist Regions of Shénzhōu). Shanghai: Shanghai guji, 2003. Pp. 183-185.
• 福建泉州開元寺志 (1927, reprint), from Dharma Drum's Temple Gazetteer Project. Fully digitized.
• Entry for 開元寺 from Chinese Wikipedia.