Throughout the summer, unusually heavy rainfall has caused a series of devastating floods across parts of central and southwestern China. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced from their homes, hundreds have been killed, and authorities now warn that the Three Gorges Dam is facing the largest flood peak in its history. Gathered here are images of the high water and some of the damage it has caused over the past few months.
Photos: China’s Summer of Floods
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An aerial view of the Kwanyin Temple in the middle of the flooded Yangtze River on July 24, 2020, in Ezhou, China. The temple, on a rocky island in the mighty river, was first built in 1345, and has collapsed and been rebuilt multiple times across history. #
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Floodwater reached the feet of the Leshan Giant Buddha in Leshan, on August 18, 2020. It is the first time since 1949 that the 71-meter-high statue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been submerged to the toes. #
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