I have been to West Lake several times, both before and after major clean-up and reconstruction. As one of the famous sites in China's history, it is incredibly crowded year round.  Prior to the clean-up in around 2000, it was a dirty, filled with filth, as it was a culture relic of the "Old Civilization" which the Cultural Revolution was trying to get rid of, or at least, neglect.  Since that time, they have build many hotels and entertainment facilities to choke it with tourists and chintz, including color-lit water displays.  Wonder how such crass commercialism deserves a UNESCO WHS designation.