This is the amusing moment a robot dog is used to carry away piled-up rubbish at a tourist spot in China.

Footage captured by amazed spectators at Mount Tai in Shandong shows the robot effortlessly climbing multiple steps while carrying a large load of trash on October 19.

Dozens of people who had come to enjoy the mountain's natural beauty were captivated by the modern spectacle as the machine 'walked' among them, performing its duty.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying also praised the clever use of the robot to transport heavy loads, describing it as 'technology benefiting humanity.'

Mount Tai, known as one of China's most beautiful scenic spots, attracts millions of tourists worldwide each year, leading to huge accumulations of waste. The difficulty and cost of cleaning and transporting garbage have significantly increased.

Since the beginning of this year, the property management company of Taishan Cultural Tourism Group, responsible for garbage collection at Mount Tai, has been actively exploring ways to integrate technology into sanitation work.

These 'robot dogs' are being tested for garbage collection and transportation, and this test could potentially offer a new solution to the challenge of waste removal in mountainous scenic areas.

China is in a tech 'arms race' with the West, including Elon Musk in Texas, for the development of robots.

The rivalry between Musk and companies in China is rooted in the broader competition for leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation, fields crucial to the future of manufacturing, consumer technology, and space exploration.

Both Musk and several Chinese tech giants are vying to shape these industries.

Earlier this month, a robot shark was used in a zoo aquarium at the newly opened Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

But visitors were unhappy with the makeshift marine creature. The park, which had just opened on October 1, faced backlash for high ticket prices - around 240 yuan (approximately 25.91 GBP) for adults - along with long queues and poor conditions for marine life.

These issues led to a low rating of just 2.9 out of 5 stars on a popular review platform.