Brief Introduction
"Three Gorges Dam Project" is the short term for the water control project at the three gorges on Yangtze River. It is located in the middle section of Xiling Gorge (one of the three gorges on Yangtze River) near Sandouping Town in Yichang City, Hubei Province. Being the world's largest hydropower project, Three Gorges Dam Project has created many "Firsts" such as the most efficient dam in flood control, the most difficult construction work and the largest migration project in the world. 
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Schedule of Three Gorges Dam Project
Three Gorges Dam Project is composed of the dam, the hydropower stations and the navigation facility. It measures 607 feet tall and the top is 3,319 yards wide. It has taken 17 years to finish the construction of the whole project, which started in 1992 and includes three stages. The first stage took five years from 1992 to 1997. During this period, the cofferdam construction and the excavation of a diversion channel in the first stage were finished. Meanwhile, a temporary ship lock on the left bank of the river and some preparation work was also completed. The second stage lasted six years from 1998 to 2003, when the cofferdam construction was in its second stage and was undertaken at the same time as the construction of the permanent ship lock and the navigation buildings. The power station facilities construction and the installation of machinery on the left bank were also completed. The third stage of the project began in 2003 and has been completed in 2009. During this period, the installation of all machinery, the construction of the power station and the dam on the right bank are finished. Now, a 3,861 square miles canyon-reservoir dam is presented to the world.
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The Three Gorges Project was born with a huge controversy covering economic, technical, environment, migration, tourism and the protection fields. Great concerns have been paid regarding the benefits and problems that this century's big project would bring to the people and the environment. The adoption of the project construction resolution ended the heated debates among scientists.
Scenery Change after Three Gorges Dam Completed
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| Tourists at Three Gorges Dam |
Opened in 1997, the Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area is mainly composed of Tanzi Mountain, 185 Platform, Dam Viewing Point and Memorial Garden. It fully displays to visitors the culture of the water conservancy project. Climbing on the Viewing Platform, visitors will have a panoramic view of the Three Gorges Dam. 185 Platform got the name from its height – 185 meters, equivalent to the height of the dam crest. Standing on the Dam Viewing Point, visitors will see the huge dam body at close range. The Memorial Garden is a large open air museum where exhibits a large number of machines that have been used in the dam construction, such as mechanical excavators and cranes. Besides, visitors can also go to Huangling Temple, the largest ancient building in the Three Gorges area.Transportation:
1. Take bus no.4, 10, 10-1, 21, 34, 100, or 101 in Yichang City and get off at Yemingzhu Station, take bus no.8 in the dam area and get off at Liuzhashou Tourist Reception Center and take the minibus to visit the dam area.
2. Take bus no.3, 4, 9, 21 or 100 and get off at Dongshan Dadao (opposite to Pinghu Hotel), and take tour bus to reach the dam area.
Entrance Fee: CNY 105 (including the minibus in the scenic area which runs at every 20 mintes)







Q & A on Three Gorges Dam
1.
Aug. 18,2009 08:10 Reply
Mr.Rich(USA) said:
I visited the Dam and thought it was a great place. It was very cool. I hope that poeple will respect this dam
2.
May. 12,2009 20:32 Reply
Mr.Yong-Qing(China) said:
The three gorges dam project will bring many great benefits to the chinese people. I hope it works out well
3.
May. 8,2009 17:44 Reply
Mr.David Smith(US) said:
John Hersey wrote a book titled "A Single Pebble" in 1956 where a fictional engineer was hired to propose a site for a dam on the Yangtze river. The book identified the selected site as Yellow Cat Gorge. Does this have any basis in fact? ie: Was it the selected site for the current dam? The maps all use the appropriate Chinese names. Thank you for your response.
4.
May. 7,2009 12:45 Reply
Mr.yibbidy(yangtze) said:
i love the yangtze river and three gorges dam it is the best thing that ever happened to china ohhhh makes me hard!!!
5.
Mar. 14,2009 17:46 Reply
Mr.hallala ding dong(india) said:
The Three Gorges Dam Project will promote further tourism. As the largest water conservancy in the world combined with the world-renowned natural beauty the Three Gorges will become the "hottest" tourist and press attraction in recent years. See new attraction list of Yangtze.
Apr. 3,2009 22:37
Ms.Adele Blanchett(NZ) replied:
wow true bro thats hearty mean