CANBERRA - The charter Air China plane carrying the sacred flame left here 9 pm on Thursday, wrapping up a peaceful and successful torch relay in the Australian capital city.

The plane is heading for Nagano, Japan for the 16th leg of the global torch relay. The torch relay in Nagano will take place on Saturday.

Chinese ambassador Zhang Junsai and Australian Capital Territory government officials were seeing the plane off at the Canberra Fairbairn airport.