It's been a long time since the people who lived in rural Xuanping saw their little town, which was flooded by a powerful earthquake in 2008. But thanks to a steep drop in water levels, parts of their village in China's Sichuan Province are visible again, from homes and businesses to its school.

The village's ghostly return began in July, when water levels fell from 712 meters to 703 meters above sea level — a difference of nearly 30 feet, as news site China Daily Asia reported.

Ironically, it was more water that helped the village to resurface, as the banks of the barrier lake that covers the village were damaged by severe flooding, causing the overall water level to drop sharply.

The phenomenon has continued, and some former residents have seized the chance to return to their doomed village.

"Incredibly, the national flag hanging on the pole of Xuanping primary school has even been spotted," Anthony Bond reports in The Daily Mail. "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."

And as photos at the Daily Mail and China Daily show, at least one resident also tried to salvage some household items, taking what look to be refrigerator shelves and a television set.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.