China's largest freshwater lake parched

Red flowers and green grass thrive on a piece of dried exposed riverbed of Poyang Lake, the China's largest freshwater lake in Jiangxi province, Oct 26, 2011. The water level of the lake's gauging station had declined to 9.98 meters on Oct 27, below the critical level of 10 meters, which marks the lake formally entering low water season. It is roughly 10 days earlier than the average date since 2000. The water surface of Poyang Lake has contracted to 536 square kilometers from about 1,000 square kilometers in September.[Photo/CFP]

The once submerged bank of Poyang Lake is exposed. It is China's largest freshwater lake in Jiangxi province, Oct 26, 2011. [Photo/CFP]