Buddha's parietal-bone relic enshrined in Macao

A rare piece of parietal-bone relic of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, has been enshrined for public worship in the Macao East Asian Games Dome on Monday afternoon, after its 5-day public obeisance in Hong Kong.

Vice Chairman of CPPCC National Committee Ho Hau Wah, the Chief Executive of Macao SAR Chui Sai On, President of the Buddhist Association of Macao Quan Hui, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China Xue Cheng, Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs Wang Zuo'an as well as other eminent monks and leaders attend the grand ceremony.

The parietal-bone relic is to open for public worship for five consecutive days from April 30 to May 4. Tens of thousands of Buddhist devotees will pay homage to the sacred relic. More than 140,000 tickets have been sold out by now, according to the organizer.

The parietal bone of Sakyamuni had been unearthed in 2008 when archaeologists discovered unexpectedly a crypt in the ruins of the Changgan Temple which was built in Song Dynasty during the excavation works at the Nanjing Grand Bao'en Temple. The trip to Hong Kong and Macao is the first time the parietal bone was displayed for public obeisance outside the Chinese mainland.