The Beijing Olympic torch relay concluded its first leg in the Chinese mainland on Sunday.

A total of 208 torchbearers carried the flame in Sanya city of the southern island province of Hainan.

Yang Yang, the first Chinese gold medalist in the Winter Olympic Games ran the first 200 meters of the 30 km route.

"I felt very excited. It seems I finished my way with a wink. I'm a bit regret that I might run too fast, but I just couldn't control myself. The passion around me made me very excited."

Famous athletes, celebrities, businessmen, as well as local representatives and some foreign friends participated in the relay, which lasted a whole day.

69-year-old Li Shuangjiang, a well-respected vocalist in China, said he feel extremely proud to be a torchbearer.

"I think the Olympics is the grandest and most glorious symphony in the world, and everyone of us is a note of it. Whenever we think of it, we will feel a kind of passion and emotion."

The arrival of the Olympic flame ignited the enthusiasm of local citizens, and turned Sanya into a sea of joy. People used all kinds of ways to express their excitement.

Han Xiaolin is a middle school student in Sanya. She waved the national flag and shouted cheerfully.

"Light the passion, pass the dream. Welcome to Sanya!"

The torch relay ended at the senic spot of Tianya Haijiao. After Sanya, the Olympic Flame will head to Wuzhishan, another city of Hainan Province.