Three Gorges Project Realizing Century-old Dream

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 01, 2003

Three Gorges Project Realizing Century-old Dream

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After a decade-long construction, the gigantic Three Gorges Project, which has been longed for by the Chinese people for about a century, is closer to completion as the project's reservoir started storing water officially on Sunday. Navigation on the Yangtze River is expected to resume on June 16 with a suspension of 67 days. Four power generating units will be put into operation and provide 5.5 billion kwh of electricity by the end of this year to China's eastern and central regions, where power supply is insufficient.

Launched in 1993, the massive project is planned to be constructed in three stages. Preparations and actual construction in the first phase were carried out between 1993 and 1997. The Yangtze, China's longest river, was dammed at the Three Gorges area for the first time on Nov. 8, 1997.

The second phase started in 1998 lasts up to now. This phase features the reservoir's water storing, the operation of the firstgroup of generating units, and the passage of ships through the permanent sluice gate.

Currently, about 70 percent of the Three Gorges Project have been completed.

The third phase of the project will range between 2004 and 2009,when the water level is expected to reach an altitude of 175 meters. By that time, the reservoir will hold 39.3 billion cubic meters of water.

By 2009, 26 power-generating units with a combined capacity of 18.2 million kw will be operational.

Construction of the Three Gorges project was first initiated by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of the democratic revolution of China, in the early 20th century.

Late chairman Mao Zedong inspected the Yangtze River in 1953, saying China would lock floods on the river at the Three Gorges area, talking of construction of the Three Gorges project.

China built the Lushui Reservoir on the Yangtze in the 1960s and constructed a water control project at Gezhouba on the river in the 1970s.

Deng Xiaoping, the late chief architect of China's reform and opening-up, made an inspection tour along the Yangtze in 1980, raising once again the issue of building the Three Gorges project.

In 1989, Jiang Zemin made an on-the-spot investigation at the Three Gorges area, noting the project should be constructed at an earlier date.

The Three Gorges Project is the first large scale project in China approved by the National People's Congress. Its construction is estimated to cost 180 billion yuan (21.8 billion US dollars).

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