Kaiyuan

Kaiyuan (开元) is a name used in Chinese history and geography for several different things. It most commonly refers to the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, but it also appears in place names and institutions named after that era.

The Kaiyuan era (713–741 CE) was a period during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. It is often regarded as a time of political stability, economic growth, and cultural flourishing that helped define the height of Tang power. The era’s name, meaning roughly “opening prosperity,” was used to symbolize auspicious beginnings and has been inherited in the naming of later sites and institutions.

One notable example of the toponym is the Kaiyuan Temple (Kaiyuan Si) in Quanzhou, Fujian. This ancient Buddhist temple, associated with the Tang era name, is among China’s oldest and most significant temple complexes and is a key site for understanding the spread of Buddhism in southern China.

Geographically, Kaiyuan also designates several places, such as Kaiyuan City in Liaoning Province, a county-level city under the administration of Tieling. The name is used in other towns and districts as well, reflecting the historical influence of the era and the cultural resonance of the term kaiyuan.