China's Buddha tooth relic was back home Saturday after having been worshipped in Thailand for 76 days by about five million devotees from southeastern Asian counties.
The tooth, enshrined in a golden miniature pagoda and sealed by bulletproof glass, was flown to Beijing in a Royal Thai Air Force plane.
Officials with the State Administration of Religious Affairs and about 500 devout followers attended the welcome ceremony held at the airport.
During the ceremony, Uraiwan Thienthong, Cultural Minister of Thailand, thanked China for sharing the relic.
The relic, believed to be the tooth of the Sakyamuni Buddha (545-486 BC), was transported to Thailand on Dec. 15, 2002.
(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2003)
