A comprehensive conservation project of West Lake in east China's Zhejiang Province, which started in 2002, has enhanced the lake's features.

A glance at a corner in the new lake area of the West Lake on September16.

The project focuses on protecting the ecological environment in the lake through forestation and water quality improvement programs. The Hangzhou government has also rebuilt and recovered more than 100 historic and cultural sites in the area.

According to local government officials, the lake water is changed each month and the sediment is dredged every two weeks in order to keep the water clean and clear. Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou City, serves as the source of the lake.

The West Lake district so far moved about 7,000 residents in total and so that the amount of domestic sewage can be lowered.

The symbol of the historical and cultural city, West Lake is known as "the Paradise on Earth", covering an area of 6.5 square kilometers, about 0.9 square kilometers more than before the project began five years ago.

As one of the "10 Most Beautiful Lakes" in China, the local government is trying to have West Lake included on the World Heritage List.

An egret is seen on the water surface of the West Lake, September 16.

The Broken Bridge, a famous site on the West Lake, where the first encounter of a legendary couple occurred in a Chinese folklore The Legend of the White Snake, is seen September 16.

(China Daily September 19, 2007)