Three Gorges Dam, China
The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is one of the most massive objects ever built. Hoover Dam looks like a toy by comparison. The scope of the project is daunting. The Chinese goverment is relocating tens of millions of Chinese who live along the river for the 100 miles upstream that are being flooded. Whole cities and the roads and bridges connecting them are being rebuilt on the clifftops around the river, waiting for the second stage of flooding in 2009 that will bring the water up to their city walls.

The Dam is the world's largest water conservation project. The Dam produces 85 billion kilowatts a year, and will provide hydroelectric power to 10% of China's population (130 million people), dramatically reducing pollution from coal-burning sources.

The dam has two ship locks, below right, a twin five-channel lock for "big" ships, and a faster single lock for boats up to 300 tons. As the locals say, "Small boats can use the elevator, big boats take the stairs."

Along the river, we saw markers rise along the hills (below, left and center) showing where the water level will rise to 135M in stage one (June 2004) and 175M in stage two (June 2009), from the 62 meters it was at as we passed these sites only one month before they were lost underwater forver.
Some ancient writings on the walls of the gorge are thousands of years old. To "save them", they carved these exact replicas 125M higher up the cliff, rewriting their history, literally.

Below, the ancient Plank Road carved into the cliff face for ancient travelers is now lost to all but scuba divers.