Flooded Chinese village comes back to the surface after reservoir drained
Villagers catch glimpse of their old home for the first time in more than five decades
Traces of an old village that was flooded over 50 years ago to make way for a reservoir have resurfaced after the authorities in southeast China drained most of its water, according to local media reports.
The remains of the village can now be seen once more in Donghuli in Shanggao county in Jiangxi province.
Dozens of families had to move in 1961 when construction began on the Nangang Reservoir.
The village was slowly submerged after the reservoir was completed and filled with water.
However, from the end of last year the local authorities began to pump large amounts of water out of the reservoir to help supply a new drinking water network for nearby urban areas.
With the last of the water drained from the reservoir this month, residents finally saw their old village again for the first time in 56 years, the Jiangnan City News reported.
Historians were quoted as saying the village was home to workers at a nearby silver mine during the 13th century.
Stone paved roads in the area were used to transport silver to other parts of the country.
The mine, which operated for 160 years, was one of China’s biggest and best preserved ancient silver mines, the report said.
Some elderly villagers expressed disbelief when historians told them the village’s old defensive walls and stone bridges, where they used to play as children, were in fact ancient relics dating back at least 800 years, according to the report.
The local government said the village would be submerged once more when the reservoir was filled again.
