Buddhist treasure unveiled

NANJING - The parietal bone of Sakyamuni, considered one of Buddhism's most sacred relics, was unveiled on Saturday morning by Buddhist monks and archaeologists as millions watched the ceremony live on TV.

The top part of what is believed to be Sakyamuni's skull was taken out from a miniature gold coffin nestled inside a silver one at 9 am during a religious ceremony held at Qixia Temple in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.

The bone, irregular and light brown, looked like a small rock. "It is full of cell-like cavities, just like a honeycomb," said Hua Guorong, deputy head of the Nanjing City Museum.