Buddha relic on display in Macao

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MACAO, April 30 (UPI) -- A piece of skull bone said to be from Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Sakyamuni or the Buddha, has left Hong Kong for display in Macao, Chinese media said.

The parietal bone from the founder of Buddhism spent five days in Hong Kong enshrined for public view and veneration, before leaving the Chinese mainland for Macao Monday where it will appear until May 4, the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua said.

The relic was discovered in 2008 by archaeologists digging in the ruins of the Changgan Temple built during the Song Dynasty from A.D. 960-1279.

More than 140,000 tickets have been sold to those wanting to see the sacred artifact in the Macao East Asian Games Dome, the organizer of the relic's tour said.

The displays in Hong Kong and Macao mark the first time the historical object has left the Chinese mainland for public veneration, the news agency said.