The West Lake Musical Fountain is Hangzhou at its most choreographed: water, light, music, and the lakefront crowd all focused on a short evening show. It is touristy, but West Lake has always mixed scenery with performance and public ritual.
Come if you are already near the eastern lakefront after dark, not as a substitute for walking the causeways or visiting temples. The show is brief, crowded, and weather-dependent, but it gives the promenade a festive pulse.