The village that came back from the Dead

Eerie images of Chinese ghost town that has emerged from under water five years after earthquake

• Homes, offices and the primary school have emerged from the water revealing the village of Xuanping
• A huge earthquake devastated the village in 2008 causing it to be completely flooded by a barrier lake
• But the banks of the lake were severely damaged in July after the biggest flood in 50 years
• This has caused the the flood water to retreat and once again revealed the village

By Anthony Bond

These astonishing pictures show an entire village emerging from a lake -  five years after it was completely flooded following a massive earthquake.
Almost 10 buildings including homes, offices and the primary school have gradually emerged from the water after the village of Xuanping was completely destroyed in 2008.
An 8.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the village in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province of China, causing it to be completely flooded by a barrier lake.

Submerged: The town of Xuanping has suddenly emerged from a lake - five years after it was completely flooded following an earthquake

Revealed: Buildings which once made up the village have appeared again over the past two months

Devastated: An 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit the town in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province of China, on May 12, 2008 causing it to be completely flooded by a barrier lake

Different: With the buildings poking up from the water's surface, it gives the lake a mysterious appearance

Appearance: The village has emerged again after the biggest flood in 50 years damaged the lake's banks in July, causing the flood water to fall

Incredible: Yang Rong visits her old house and takes away her belongings after the property suddenly emerged from the flood water

In July, the banks of the lake were severely damaged after the biggest flood in 50 years causing the the flood water to retreat.
The water level has now fallen from 712 meters above sea level to 703 meters, resulting in the reappearance of the town.


Incredibly, the national flag hanging on the pole of Xuanping primary school has even been spotted.
Many people have returned to the area to look at their former village - with some even able to have a look around their former homes.

Reduction: This aerial shot shows the ruins of the flooded town peeking above the water. The water level has now fallen from 712 meters above sea level to 703 meters

Creepy: Houses and other buildings gradually began to emerge from the water on July 14

Mysterious: This shows one of the town's buildings which was completely submerged under water but has since emerged again after the flood water dropped

Return: Among some of the buildings which reappeared included the local primary school, which still had its national flag on the pole. This shows the roof of another of the town's buildings

Odd: As well as the primary school, the township government's dormitory and unit office appeared in the water

Upsetting: This man looks at his old house which has been left ruined by the flood water in Xuanping

The village's government dormitory and unit office appeared in the water along with a hostel and about 10 houses.
The emergence of the town is remarkably similar to part of the storyline in Channel 4's hit TV show The Returned.
The French series is set in a small mountain town in which many dead people reappear, apparently alive and normal.
They try to resume their lives as normal but strange phenomena keep occurring - including the water level of the dam mysteriously lowering to reveal dead animals and the steeple of a church which was part of a town flooded by water.

Going down: The water level has now fallen from 712 meters above sea level to 703 meters

Lower: The water marks on the lake's banks give a clear indication of how far the water has fallen

Strange: A hostel has also re-emerged together with a dormitory and nearly 10 houses

Dramatic: The emergence of the town is remarkably similar to the part of the storyline in Channel 4's hit TV show The Returned - in which a dam's water lowers to reveal a church steeple

Incredible: Some former residents of the town have even being pictured going back to their properties to pick up belongings