A reservoir in the north-central Nghe An Province has run virtually dry, and schools, houses and bunkers that were submerged are revealing themselves. 

The water level in the Hua Na dam has dropped dramatically due to a heat wave in Nghe An during the last two months and lack of rain in upstream areas in Laos. Beneath the Nam Piet Bridge is a creek just 30 cm deep and 10 m wide.

On the dried river bed remains a boat chained to a tree stump that belonged to a person who lived here until the dam was built eight years ago.

The Thong Thu Secondary School in Ban Loc village, Thong Thu Commune, reveals itself again. Its five classrooms still have their walls and blackboards intact.

The current water levels are the lowest ever in the reservoir, Bui Van Hien, deputy chairman of Que Phong District, said.

Stumps of palm trees formerly grown by people of Loc Village.

More than 1,300 families in Thong Thu and Dong Van communes had to relocate in 2012 for the construction of the reservoir, including 166 in Loc village.

A military bunker measuring dozens of square meters has survived intact despite years of submersion.

A cinnamon garden, or what's left of it.

Lang Van Hung, 68, who now lives half a kilometer away from the dam, said: "Two days ago I returned to my old home just to see my well and the fruit trees I grew myself. They are rotting away. The feeling is hard to describe."

A house reveals itself after spending eight years under water.

Several tree stumps remain.

All that is left of the Thong Thu Commune People's Committee. Parts of it have been seen before, but never fully like this, according to locals.

A well built in 1996.

The Hua Na dam has an area of around 21 km2 and can hold around 569 million m3 of water.

The water is only 0.5 m above the "dead storage" level, at which the water cannot be drawn using normal means.