A relic of the Buddha's skull bone will be flown from Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, to Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions for public display later this year, Shanghai-based newspaper Oriental Morning Post reported on Friday.

The relic of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, was moved from Chongguang Pagoda by 26 Buddhist masters to the Pilu Palace in Nanjing's Qixia Temple on April 24 for a month's enshrinement.

The relic was transported to Hong Kong and Macao for a 10-day display in 2012, the first time it was taken out of the mainland.

The relic was unearthed in Nanjing in 2008 in a crypt in the ruins of the Changgan Temple which was built during the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279).