潮州開元寺，粵東第一古剎，始建於唐，全國重點文物保護單位寺院。Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, China.

Описание: 潮州開元寺位於廣東省潮州市區甘露坊，前身為「荔峰寺」，唐開元二十六年（738 年），唐玄宗詔令全國挑選十大州郡各建大寺，以「開元」名之，它便是其中之一。
開元寺佔地面積 11031 平方米，坐北朝南，是一座龐大的四合院式建築群。中軸線上依次為照壁、山門、天王殿、大雄寶殿、藏經樓、玉佛樓；東側有客堂、地藏閣、齋堂等；西側則是方丈室、觀音閣、慧業堂等。寺內古木參天，濃蔭蔽日，殿堂樓宇之間花木扶疏，盆景爭艷，園林環境十分優雅清幽。
寺內建築工藝精湛，承載著多個朝代的建築風格。天王殿至遲為宋代遺構，其平面佈置、立面構圖與梁架結構保留了不少漢朝和南北朝時期的特點，斗拱高度近乎柱高一半，能抗禦地震和颱風襲擊。大雄寶殿是開元寺的主體建築，建於兩層殿基之上，殿脊以葫蘆、雉尾為裝飾，殿前月台的石欄板雕刻著精美的佛教故事、珍禽異獸等。
此外，開元寺還擁有眾多珍貴文物，如唐代石經幢、宋代阿育王石塔、宋代大銅鐘、元代石雕大香爐、明代木雕千佛塔、清代乾隆皇帝御賜的雍正版《大藏經》等。1983 年，潮州開元寺被國務院定為全國重點開放寺院，2001 年 6 月 25 日，被公佈為第五批全國重點文物保護單位。作為「粵東第一古剎」和嶺東佛學院所在地，潮州開元寺是潮州文化的重要象徵，吸引著眾多遊客前來感受其深厚的歷史文化底蘊。
Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou is located in Ganlu Square, urban area of Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. Its predecessor was "Lifeng Temple". In 738 AD, during the 26th year of Kaiyuan period of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong ordered ten major prefectures and counties across the country to each build a large temple named after "Kaiyuan", and it was one of them.
Kaiyuan Temple covers an area of 11,031 square meters. Facing south, it is a huge quadrangle architectural complex. On the central axis are screen wall, mountain gate, Heavenly Kings Hall, Mahavira Hall, Sutra Depository Building, and Jade Buddha Building in sequence. On the east side are guest hall, Ksitigarbha Pavilion, dining hall, etc. On the west side are abbot's room, Avalokitesvara Pavilion, Huiye Hall, etc. Inside the temple, ancient trees tower to the sky, casting thick shade. Among the halls and buildings, flowers and trees are luxuriant, and bonsais compete in beauty. The garden environment is very elegant and secluded.
The architectural craftsmanship inside the temple is exquisite and carries the architectural styles of multiple dynasties. The Heavenly Kings Hall is at least a relic from the Song Dynasty. Its plane layout, facade composition and beam frame structure retain many characteristics of the Han Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The height of the dougong is nearly half of the column height and can resist earthquakes and typhoon attacks. The Mahavira Hall is the main building of Kaiyuan Temple. It is built on a two-story foundation. The ridge of the hall is decorated with gourds and pheasant tails. The stone railing boards on the platform in front of the hall are carved with exquisite Buddhist stories, rare birds and beasts, etc.
In addition, Kaiyuan Temple also has many precious cultural relics, such as stone sutra pillars of the Tang Dynasty, Ashoka stone pagodas of the Song Dynasty, large bronze bells of the Song Dynasty, large stone incense burners carved in the Yuan Dynasty, thousand-Buddha towers carved in wood in the Ming Dynasty, and the Yongzheng version of the "Tripitaka" bestowed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. In 1983, Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou was designated as a key open temple nationwide by the State Council. On June 25, 2001, it was announced as the fifth batch of key national cultural relics protection units. As the "first ancient temple in eastern Guangdong" and the location of Lingdong Buddhist College, Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou is an important symbol of Chaozhou culture and attracts many tourists to come and feel its profound historical and cultural connotations.