Three Gorges Dam 三峡大坝

About Three Gorges Dam

Tanziling gives the broadest reading of the dam and ship-lock arrangement; the 185 Platform brings the reservoir and dam crest into a closer perspective. The Closure Memorial Park adds construction machinery and the story of diverting the river. These viewpoints are distinct from a ship-lift cruise or access inside the generating station, and visible spillway releases depend on operating conditions.

Several sites were considered for the dam, including Nanjinguan (南津关) and Taipingxi (太平溪), before Sandouping (三斗坪), 38 kilometres upstream of the Gezhouba Dam (葛洲坝), was chosen for its open terrain, solid granite geology and low seismic activity. Construction made use of Zhongbao Island (中堡岛), a sandbar splitting the river into a wider channel about 900 metres across and a narrower one about 300 metres across, allowing phased building. The dam's body, 185 metres high, was completed in 2006; the power plant became fully operational in 2012, and the ship lift was finished in 2015.

The dam is a concrete gravity dam 2335 metres long, with a crest elevation of 185 metres above sea level. The reservoir extends more than 600 kilometres and has a total storage capacity of 39.3 billion cubic metres, including about 22.15 billion cubic metres of flood-control capacity.

The power station has 32 main generating units of 700 megawatts each, plus two smaller 50 megawatt units, for a total installed capacity of 22,500 megawatts, generating about 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. It is the largest power station in the world by installed capacity.

What to look for

• Tanziling’s overview of the dam and multi-stage ship locks.
• The 185 Platform and construction interpretation in the Closure Memorial Park.

The surrounding area

A base for the Three Gorges landscape and Three-Gorges Tribe; confirm the actual boat boarding point and transfer.

Location & getting there

Getting to Three Gorges Dam

Travel to the Three Gorges Dam visitor-transfer area near Sandouping in Yiling District. Complete the current entry checks and use the designated scenic transport; do not navigate directly to the dam structure as though it were a public road entrance.