Receding Water Levels of China’s Yangtze Reveal Ancient Buddha Statues

A once submerged Buddha statue sits on top of Foyeliang island reef in the Yangtze river, which appeared after water levels fell due to a regional drought in Chongqing, China, on Aug. 20, 2022. Thomas Peter/Reuters

BEIJING—Plunging water levels of the Yangtze River have revealed a submerged island in China’s southwestern city of Chongqing and a trio of Buddha statues on it that are believed to be 600 years old, state media Xinhua has reported.

The three statues were found on the highest part of the island reef called Foyeliang, initially identified as built during the Ming and Qing dynasties.