According to Chinese mythology, the Three Gorges are made up of Yu, the founder of the Xia supreme ruler, and Gun and Yu, the two sons of Yu. They were ordered by their father to defend the country against floods and thus dug out three river valleys. The three gorges are located on the Yangtze River on the western side of Hubei Province. The Three Gorges consist of the Qutang Gorge, the Wu Gorge and the Xiling Gorge stretching in the shape of “⻉”.
The construction of the Three Gorges Dam was a large and complex project with technical activities such as calculating the amount of water in the Yangtze River. The other main techniques used to build Three Gorges Dam include relocation, excavation, filling and flooding. The dam is the largest water conservancy project ever constructed in human history, which will help the country storing over 39.3 billion cubic meters of water.
The Three Gorges Dam has not only changed the geography of the region but also provided benefits to the Chinese people. Other than helping to control flooding, this engineering marvel has provided electricity supply to the Chinas central and western region and decreased the navigation time on the Three Gorges area.
Besides, the Three Gorge Dam has also become a major tourism destination, as it has attracted many visitors since its construction. People come mainly to view the grandeur of the river valley, enjoy the well maintained scenic spots, participate in water recreation activities and learn about the history of the construction project. Some adventurous tourists have also opted to take cruises along the mountain sides and river banks of the Three Gorges, providing them closer view of the attractions and wildlife of the Yangtze River.
The Three Gorge project has indeed made a great cultural impact on the region. Before the construction of the projects, thousands of people had lived on the Yangtze River, but due to the governments decision of relocating them to make way for the dam, most of them had to move elsewhere.
However, despite its benefits, the Three Gorges Dam has caused a number of problems too. Since it was built, the level of the waters of the Yangtze River has been increasing, leading to the reduction of the river area. This decrease in surface area has resulted in a number of environmental impacts such as an increase in solid waste, pollution and destruction of the wildlife habitats.
In conclusion, the Three Gorges Dam is a great engineering wonder and offers innumerable benefits to the Chinese people, with increased electricity generation, improved flood control and shorter navigation journey times. Despite all the benefits, it is important to ensure that the environmental and cultural aspects are taken into consideration when planning large construction projects, in order to mitigate the possible negative impacts on the ecosystem.
