Shi Shengtai, vice chief of Gansu Provincial Sports Bureau, carries the Olympic flame on the back of a camel in the torch relay in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province on July 5, 2008.

(CRI2008-07-05 19:41:10)--A mighty cheer burst from the crowd when Shi Shengtai, the 29th torchbearer in the relay in Dunhuang, mounted a camel with the Olympic flame at the foot of Mingsha Mountain on Saturday morning.

About an hour after the relay began at the Mogao Grottoes, the torch arrived at the resort of Mingsha Mountain and Yueya Spring where the it was carried on camelback, the major mode of transportation in the area, according to a report on teh website Sohu.com.

It was the first time that a torchbearer had passed the flame while riding a camel, Shi Shengtai, vice chief of Gansu Provincial Sports Bureau, was quoted as saying.

The segment was only 60 meters, but it was the most impressive chapter in Saturday's relay.

Wang Kaize, the camel's stableman, was as excited as the torchbearers. He told Sohu.com that he had been leading camels for 10 years, but he would never forget today's experience.

The Olympic torch relay will be held in Jiayuguan Pass and Lanzhou during the next two days.