The Olympic flame approached the final destination of its long and sometimes contentious global tour Wednesday, greeted by rapturous crowds in the Chinese capital two days before it officially launches the Summer Games. Crowds cheered as China’s biggest basketball star Yao Ming ran the torch through the Palace Museum and out onto the streets. Huge crowds greeted the torch as it made its way through the streets of Beijing and into the Forbidden City. China’s most famous athlete, NBA basketball star Yao Ming, ran the torch through China’s symbolic Tiananmen Square gate through the Palace Museum and onto the streets. The Olympic torch will wind its way through Beijing before ending up at the National Stadium for the opening ceremonies on Friday.

Yao Ming carries Olympic torch

Raw footage of Yao Ming carrying the Olympic torch