Many pieces of broken ceramic incense bowls and worship statues were seen on the lake section along Nhat Trieu Street on December 25.
Nguyen Minh, a resident, said that local people usually dump used worship objects into rivers and lakes, believing their ancestors would feel settled.
"West Lake has long been a good place for local people to release fish and snails as well as to dump used worship objects during some Buddhist festivals," Minh said.
Many dead fish with a foul odour can be seen on the lake from Yen Hoa Street.
A section along Quang Ba Street was dumped with a big pile of construction waste.
The rubbish dumps seem bigger during dry seasons. Many pieces of broken ceramic incense bowls pose threats to visitors.
The dumps have seriously affected the scenery of one of the most famous tourist sites in the city.