The symbol of the city is a round design consisting of a Watergate, flowing water, and the city's name spelt in Chinese Pinyin. It was chosen at the 15th Conference of the 11th Plenary Session of the Suzhou's Standing Committee of the municipal People's Congress on April 26th, 1995. The round pattern symbolizes that Suzhou will be enduring as the universe, and is everlasting like the earth and the heaven. The Watergate in the center tells that Suzhou is a culturally well-known city with long-standing history. The flowing water under the gate symbolizes that Suzhou is a land full of water and rivers in Jiangnan or the south of Yangtze River. The two circles in the design symbolize Suzhou's vigorous and promising future.