The Three Gorges Dam of China: Technology to Bridge Two Centuries

Some of the most sophisticated 20th-century technologies have been applied to build the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam Project (TGDP) of China. The author administered a study abroad course in China from May 27 to June 10, 2000, to study the massive project as it approached the halfway mark of its second and most critical stage, namely Phase II. This article sheds some light on this sizable project and summarizes information and observations gathered first-hand during this study abroad course on the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. In addition to a description of the main components of the project and the phases of its construction, a historical background and a timeline of the events that culminated in China's decision to build this dam are presented in this article. The article also points out the reasons why this sizable project is being built and discusses the results that are anticipated after its completion. Some of the challenges faced in the construction of the project are analyzed, together with how they were dealt with.