Me in front of the Three Gorges Dam
May 9, 2005
Chang Jiang (Long River), better known a the Yangtze river, is the longest river in China (third in the world). The Three Gorges Dam will change the river forever. It first started operating in 2003 and will be complete in 2009. When it is complete, it will be the largest dam in the world with 26 Hydro generators. It will help control flooding and provide enough electricity for half of the country.
Our local dam guide, Edward, took us to see what will be the world’s largest dam. He also explained that he was one of the 1.3 billion people who are being relocated since the water will rise to 175 meters above sea level (currently under 150). After our tour, we would pass through the five locks and as we traveled up the river we could see water markings indicating that 150 and 175 meters.
Needless to say, the Gorges will become a shadow of what they are today and many of the cities we saw will be moved to higher grounds. As our dam guide Edward explained, for some people, the dam is a good thing while for others, they don’t want to move.
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