The one-of-a-kind sacred fingerrelic of Buddha was returned to the Chinese mainland Sunday after being worshipped by devout followers in Taiwan for five weeks, according to Taiwan media.

A chartered plane carrying the Buddha relic took off from Kaohsiung International Airport in southern Taiwan after an early-morning farewell ceremony attended by tens of thousands of the pious.

In a gesture of respect, a Buddhist delegation from Taiwan headed by Dharma Master Hsing Yun of the Foguangshan Monastery escorted the relic all the way to Hong Kong by following in a separate chartered plane.

From there, the Buddha relic will be brought back to the Famen Temple in Xi'an where it was unearthed in 1987 from a secret underground cell after lying in obscurity for more than 1,100 years.

The Buddha relic was put on display at various locations around the island province of Taiwan, attracting a total of approximately four million visitors.

( People's Daily April 1, 2002)