Three Gorges Dam 三峡大坝Sānxiá Dàbà

Why go to Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam is a concrete gravity dam across the Yangtze at Sandouping, and the world's largest hydroelectric station by installed capacity. Visitors are taken by shuttle round a one-way route of hilltop lookouts and platforms, ending at a park that faces the dam wall head-on. The ship lift, which began operating in 2016, raises whole vessels past the dam in one move.

The story

China's national legislature approved the project in 1992 and construction began in December 1994. The dam body was finished in 2006, the last of the 32 main generators passed its final test in 2012, and the ship lift followed in 2016.

What to see at Three Gorges Dam

• Tanziling 坛子岭: A hilltop lookout at the left-bank end of the dam, reached by a lift from the 196 Platform, with the whole project, the five-stage ship locks and the river laid out below.
• Five-stage Ship Locks 五级船闸: A viewing platform over the two staircases of locks that raise ships through the dam; a full passage takes about four hours.
• 185 Platform 185平台: A deck at the same height as the dam crest, with the reservoir upstream on one side and a view of the ship lift downstream on the other.
• Truncation Memorial Park 截流纪念园: A riverside park with the straight-on view of the dam wall, where you can see the whole length of the dam in one frame.

How to visit Three Gorges Dam

After security and check-in at the visitor transfer centre, shuttles run a one-way loop: the 196 Platform and its lift up to Tanziling, the lookout over the five-stage locks, the 185 Platform, then the Truncation Memorial Park. Each lookout takes about 20 to 30 minutes and the memorial park a little longer, so the full loop takes roughly two to three and a half hours depending on the route; half a day is enough. If you are on a Yangtze cruise, the dam visit is usually part of the itinerary.

How to get to Three Gorges Dam

The dam is at Sandouping in Yiling district, about 30 km west-north-west of central Yichang in a straight line. From Yichang you reach the visitor transfer centre by tourist bus or taxi (ask your hotel for the current bus route), and many Yangtze cruises include a stop here; Yichang is linked to Wuhan by high-speed rail.

Where to stay

Base yourself in Yichang city, which has the rail station, restaurants and the riverside, and make the dam a half-day trip. It also works as a stop before or after a Three Gorges cruise.

What to eat

• Red-oil buns 红油包子: Chewy steamed buns with a spicy meat or vegetable filling, a Yichang breakfast and snack favourite.
• Liangxia rice jelly 凉虾: Strands of cooked rice batter shaped like little shrimp, served cold in brown-sugar syrup as a summer treat.
• Red-oil noodles 红油小面: A bowl of noodles in a bright red chilli-oil broth, the usual Yichang morning meal.

Tips for visiting Three Gorges Dam

• Visits use a real-name timed booking made on the scenic area's official WeChat service account; foreign visitors can instead book at the ticket windows on site with their passport.
• Cars need a vehicle pass from one of the checkpoints on the approach roads (bring licence and registration), so most visitors go by bus, taxi or tour; the viewpoints are exposed, so bring sun protection in summer.
• The ship lift is sometimes closed for maintenance, so you may not see it working; the stops are on a set one-way shuttle loop and cannot be skipped.

Nearby

• Shennongjia 神农架生态旅游区 90 km
  Primeval forest and alpine meadow on the roof of central China, a UNESCO forest reserve

Also within 30 km: Qu Yuan's Hometown, Zigui 屈原故里 (under 10 km), Yangjiawan Old House 杨家湾老屋 (under 10 km), Huangling Temple 黄陵庙 (under 10 km), Wudieshui Grand Canyon (Three Gorges Bamboo Sea), Zigui 五叠水大峡谷 (10 km), Shipai Fortress 石牌要塞 (10 km), Three Gorges Tribe 三峡人家 (10 km).

On the map

Open Three Gorges Dam on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)