Three Gorges Dam

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On Monday, our first full day of sailing on the YR was spent touring the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydro power project. It is five times larger than the Hoover Dam, producing 18000 megawatts of electrify with 26 turbines.

It took 17 years to build and cost 31 billion US dollars. It used 21 million cubic feet of cement in its construction. During construction 40,000 people were employed but now only 10,000 remain to maintain it.

It was built for four reasons. First to control flooding, second to produce energy, third to improve the navigation through the river and lastly to attract tourism, which it surely does.

Of course there was a terrible downside to this construction. 1.3 million people were displaced as the 410 miles long reservoir has flooded 244 square miles of land including over a thousand towns and villages. The people were compensated and that amounted to 45% of the total cost of the dam. There are some very interesting articles on the Internet that you can read more details about this huge project.

We returned to the ship around 4:15 and passed by a busy local market that sold, at reasonable prices after bartering, typical Chinese souvenirs.

After dinner we attended the Captains Welcome Party which was a boisterous dance. At the same time we watched our passage through the five locks. Very interestingly!

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Photos

Looking down from the top
This is the suspension bridge from afar and the entrance to the upstream locks.

Four Section Elevator to top
We were wishing there had been one of these when we climbed the Great Wall.

Lock One
Ships loading first dock to head up stream. They go through 5 locks in total.

Lock 5
These ships are nearly through.

Market
This local market was just outside where the ship docked. Very aggressive sellers. They give you a price, you shake your head, they follow and say" what price lady, what price lady?"

Fruit Cart
We have seen fruit carts everywhere on the streets in China.

Sunset
Our first sunset over the Yangtze. You may think the pictures are cloudy and so they are but in this region there are no factories so no pollution. It is not smog, but fog. Mostly farmers live in this area, if you can imagine, on these steep mountainous hills.