An Ancient Relic Marks a New Chapter in Sino-Thai Friendship: A Tooth of the Buddha Travels to Bangkok on the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

At the end of 2024, a sacred Buddhist relic from Beijng's Lingguang Temple embarked on a 4,500-kilometer journey that took it to Bangkok. There the relic – a tooth of the Buddha – would be enshrined for 73 days.

This highly symbolic trip marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, as well as the 72nd birthday of the Thai king. The tooth was accompanied by Venerable Chang Zang, the abbot of Lingguang Temple, who performed a similar duty when it was last taken to Thailand in 2002. Commenting on this latest journey, he says: "The relic's trip to Thailand… stands as clear evidence of the close bond between our two countries."