改革开放

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 改革开放改变了中国。▶ —
   Reform and opening-up transformed China.
2. 改革开放始于1978年。▶ —
   Reform and opening-up began in 1978.

Collocations

Mnemonic

改革开放 combines 改革 (reform) and 开放 (opening-up): reforming the system at home and opening the door abroad, i.e. the "reform and opening-up" policy China pursued from 1978. Same as the Korean word gae-hyeok-gae-bang (改革開放). 改革 means "to reform the old into the new"; 开放 means "to open a closed door and exchange". It pairs the internal (改革) and external (开放) in a parallel structure. A core historical and political term for understanding contemporary China.

Related

Quick check

1. Which describes the makeup of 改革开放?

   • internal 改革 + external 开放 (a parallel four-char term)
   • a two-character word
   • a phonetic loan
   • named after a person