【Introduction】
Kaiyuan Temple was originally called the Beiyuan Resort. Built in 1680 (the 34th year of Yongli reign of the Ming Dynasty), it was the residence of Zheng Jing (son of Koxinga) who ruled the Chengtian Prefecture of Taiwan, hence also called Zhouzaiwe Garden Pavilion. The resort gradually became desolate and fell into neglect after the descendants of Zheng moved to Fujian. In 1690 (the 29th year of Emperor Kangxi), the chief of the Taiwan-Xiamen Military Affairs, Wang Xiaozong, and Commander Wang Huaxing rebuilt the Beiyuang Resort into a Buddhist monastery and renamed it the Haihui Monastery. In 1777 (the 42nd year of the Qianlong Reign), Taiwan Prefectural Magistrate Jiang Yuanshu renovated it into a structure with four halls and two angled wings: Sanmon (the entrance hall stands between the outer gate and the main hall), the Maitreya hall, the hall of Great Heroes, and the hall of the Great Being. These halls were all lined up in a row. In 1796 (the 1st year of Jiaquing reign), the military commander, Ha Danga, initiated another round of renovation and renamed it Haijing Monastry. In 1859 (the 9th year of Emperor Xianfeng), it was renamed the Kaiyuan Temple. The temple is built on a serene and expansive stretch of land. The old and new halls of the temple are closely-jointed akin to a fish’s scales. It was selected as one of Tainan’s top 12 most scenic attractions in 1956. The entrance hall, also called Xiaoxitian (Little Heaven of the West), has two guardians, the green-faced Narayana on the left and the read-faced Vajrapani on the right. The color painting of the two guardians and four Lokapala deities, were depicted by the local master Tsai, Tsao-Ju in 1972. The front hall, or the Maitreya Hall, is primarily dedicated to Maitreya Buddha who is seen accompanied by the four Lokapala deities on his left and right. The main hall, or the hall of Great Heroes, enshrines Shakyamuni Buddha, flanked by the 18 Arhats. The rear hall, or the hall of the Great Being, is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin. A considerable number of artifacts from the Zheng era are still preserved inside the temple.