The Three Gorges Dam (San Xia Da Ba)

The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River has been a dream for generations and will be one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken by mankind. This great dam, the largest of its kind in the world, will provide China with tremendous power generation and flood control services. It was in 1992 that the Chinese Government finally gave the go ahead for the scheme, some seventy years after Dr. Sun Yet-Sen, pioneer of the Chinese democratic revolution, first proposed the idea.

The dam site is 27 miles upstream from Yichang City proper, at Sandouping Town, 38km upstream from the Gezhouba Dam Lock, inside the third of the Three Gorges. It is planned to be by far the largest hydroelectric project in the world. The Project calls for the construction of a concrete dam, a hydroelectric power plant and a series of locks just below the scenic Three Gorges region. The project is designed to be built in three phases and is scheduled for completion in year 2009. 

One of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in the world, the Three Gorges Project will forever change the face of the Yangtze River as we know it today. Possessing comprehensive utilization benefits mainly for flood control, power generation and navigation improvement. It will be a vital important and backbone project in harnessing and developing of the Yangtze River. Measures have been taken to preserve and move the historical and cultural relics found along its banks; however many scenic spots will be adversely affected. The most dramatic section of the river, what we refer to as "the heart of the Yangtze"-the area from the Three Gorges all the way upstream to Chongqing-will eventually be drowned by the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, an integral part of the Three Gorges Project.

Gezhouba Water Conservancy Project (Gezhou Ba)

Another great dam project on the Yangtze River, this dam will be a conveyance system for the "Three Gorges Project" in the future. This project has elevated the water level of the river 100 meters from the Three Gorges Dam, by 20 meters and the sea-route has been largely improved.

The Gezhouba Water Conservancy Project includes the barrage, the power plant, the ship brake, the flood discharge brake, and the fishway, etc. It is currently the largest hydropower station in China. The embankment is 2,561m long and 70m high, which controls a drainage area of 1,000,000km2 with total content of 1.58 billion steres. With 21 dynamos the hydropower station will generate 13.8 billion KWH a year.

The No.3 ship lock is 18 meters in width and 120 meters in length, which allow passenger and cargo vessels and smaller ships of less than 3000 tons to pass. The No. 2 lock is 34 meters wide and 280 meters long and is able to accommodate ships over 10,000 tons.

It takes about 50 minutes for a ship to go through the second lock, and most cruising lines offer observation time when the ship through it.

(Source: travelchinaguide.com / chinahighlights.com)