The beautiful Shichahai area, incorporating Houhai and Qianhai lakes, has become one of the representative areas of Beijing and now has its own logo, which was recently revealed by the Shichahai Street Administration Committee.

The new logo is quite simple, just like a green-coloured jade stone, on which is written the name of Shichahai in Chinese and English characters. The English was written by Sidney Shapiro, in his 90s, a famous foreign resident living in the area. The Chinese characters were inscribed by calligrapher Yang Xuanting, who incorporated the three lakes in the characters.

"The new logo will be used to represent the whole administrative area rather than just the lakes," said Zhao Zhigang of the Shichahai Street Administration Committee.

Mainly consisting of three lakes, the Shichahai area captures Beijing's flavour with its waters and nearby hutong which can be accessed freely. The mushrooming number of bars and restaurants along the banks of the lakes in recent years has also turned the area into one of the hottest places for people seeking rest after work.

The search for the logo, which is expected to help build an integrated image of the area, was initiated in January by residents living in the area and was finally selected by a panel of historians and designers.