This footage shows a real traffic jam involving camels instead of cars after thousands of tourists headed along a desert route that used to serve as part of the Silk Road in Ancient China.

The footage was shot in the Chinese province of Gansu, in Dunhuang, which is traversed by the old Silk Road that in ancient times was the most important connection between the East and West, and was widely used by merchants to take goods across Asia and also into Europe.

China has invested a lot of money in revitalising the ancient route and the area has become popular with tourists.

According to the news site Baidu, thousands of visitors flocked to Dunhuang over the May Day holiday.

The scene was reminiscent of the desert camel traders of the Tang Dynasty that ruled China from 618 to 907.

One netizen filmed the May Day camel rides through the desert dunes and shared the footage on the social network Douyin, also known as TikTok.

In the video, hundreds of tourists on camels are seen winding through the golden sands in a long queue, apparently making their way up a steep dune.

Dunhuang was a major stopping point on the ancient Silk Road.

Today it is best known for the nearby Mogao Caves.