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lit. "change the origin"). Instituting a new era name would reset the numbering of the year back to year one, known as yuán nián (??; lit. "year of origin"). On the first day of the Chinese calendar, the numbering of the year would increase by one. To name a year using an era name only requires counting years from the first year of the era. For example, 609 CE was the fifth year of Daye (??; lit. "great endeavour"), as the era began in 605 CE;

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