BEIJING (Reuters) – Three 600-year-old Buddhist statues have been unearthed in Chongqing, southwest China, as drought hits the country, particularly the Yangtze, whose level has dropped significantly , reports the New China agency.
A formerly submerged island, “Foyeliang”, is now revealed to the gaze and on its reefs three statues dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, according to initial findings.
One of them represents a monk seated on a lotus-shaped pedestal.
Rainfall in the Yangtze Basin, China’s longest river, has been about 45 percent below normal this season since July. This record-breaking heat wave is expected to continue into next week, according to the national weather forecast.
At least 66 rivers have dried up in the Chongqing region, according to Chinese national television.
(Report Norihiko Shirouzu and Ella Cao in Beijing, French version Sophie Louet)
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