The Olympic flame moved on its journey Thursday in Guangdong Province, passing through Shenzhen, the "Window of China's Reform".

Local people gather along the relay route during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on May 8, 2008.

Shenzhen, which is going to host the 2011 Universiade, is the eighth leg of the torch relay in China. As China's first Special Economic Zone initiated by late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, Shenzhen has grown, after nearly 30 years of development, from a small border town into a large, modern city with international influences.

Shenzhen's relay was delayed to start at noon for leaving stage to the flame Mount Qomolangma relay in the morning, but the 40 plus kilometers route was not cut, launched in the Civic Center Square at 12:10 am local time.

The Olympic flame made its first ever trip to Mount Qomolangma as it was carried to the top of the world by Chinese mountaineers at about 9 a.m. Beijing time.

The Mt. Qomolangma torch, which was lit at about one hundred meters away from the top, was relayed by five torchbearers to the peak. The unprecedented relay lasted about six minutes.

Following the opening-up in the Civic Center Square, the Shenzhen relay passed the Plant Exhibition Park, Shenzhen Science-Technology Park, Nanshan No. 2 Foreign Study College, Red Forest Seaside Park, Futian Sports Complex before arriving at the celebration spot, the Shenzhen Sports Complex.

The spotlights along the route included the "Window of the World", the Red Forest Seaside Park, Xiaoping Portrait Sign.

Spectators wait for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on May 8, 2008.

The "Window of the World" is a culture & tour center, which has mustered 130 typical sights distributed around the world, covering an area of 48,000 square meters.

The Red Forest Seaside Park is China's smallest state natural reservation.

The Xiaoping Portrait Sign holds a size of 300 square meters, erected in the conjunction of South Shenzhen Road and Hongling Road. The sign has long been a tour attraction in memory of late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, who singled out the one-time fishing village of Shenzhen, to be the first of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in China.

It was originally established in 1979 due to its proximity to Hong Kong. The SEZ was created to be an experimental ground of capitalism in "socialism with Chinese characteristics".