3 Gorges Dam

3 Gorges Dam Sept 12, 2026 The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province is the world’s largest power station by installed capacity. Construction began in 1994, the main dam wall was finished in 2006, and the project became fully operational in 2012. The concrete dam is about 2,335 meters (1.5 miles) long and 185 meters (607 feet) high. Its 32 main turbines can produce 22,500 megawatts of electricity, and it was also built to control the deadly floods that hit the Yangtze for centuries. Behind the dam, a reservoir stretches roughly 600 kilometers (370 miles) upstream through the famous Three Gorges. The dam is also an engineering marvel for shipping. Boats pass through a giant five-step set of locks, or ride the ship lift, which raises entire vessels about 113 meters (370 feet) in one go. The project came at a high cost. More than a million people were relocated, and rising waters flooded towns, farmland, and historic sites. Scientists continue to debate its effects on the environment and river wildlife. You can view the dam from Tanziling Viewpoint where we watched ships move through the locks, a powerful reminder of how China has reshaped one of the world’s great rivers.