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Falling water levels of the Yangtze River have revealed a sunken island in China’s southwestern city of Chongqing and a trio of Buddhist statues on it believed to be 600 years old, state media Xinhua reported.
The three statues were found on the highest part of the island reef called Foyeliang, initially identified as being built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. One of the statues depicts a monk sitting on a lotus pedestal.
Water levels in the Yangtze have declined rapidly due to a drought and heat wave in China’s southwestern region.
Rainfall in the Yangtze Basin has been about 45% lower than normal since July, and the high temperatures are likely to persist for at least another week, official forecasts said.
As many as 66 rivers in 34 provinces in Chongqing have dried up, state broadcaster CCTV said on Aug. 19.
A rare prehistoric site has emerged amid Spain’s worst drought in decades. Called “Spanish Stonehenge”, a rock formation believed to date back to 5,000 BC has now fully emerged after the water in the surrounding reservoir receded. That reports CNN Isa Soares.
Europe’s other mighty river, the Danube, has fallen to one of its lowest levels in nearly a century, exposing the hulls of more than 20 German warships sunk during World War II near the Serbian river port city of Prahovo.
Top image: A once submerged Buddhist statue stands atop Foyeliang Island Reef in the Yangtze River, which appeared after water levels plummeted due to a regional drought in Chongqing, China on Aug. 20, 2022. Credit: Thomas Peter/REUTERS.
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