Every tourist season, the Three Gorges Dam is one of the most popular destinations for visitors from China and around the world.
Where Is the Three Gorges Dam?
It stands in Sandouping, Yiling District, Yichang City, Hubei Province, about 1 kilometer from Maoping, the county seat of Zigui.
Key Construction Timeline
- Approved in April 1992
- Construction started: December 14, 1994
- Fully completed: May 20, 2006
Basic Specifications
- Type: concrete gravity dam
- Length: 2,335 meters
- Crest elevation: 185 meters
- Maximum height: 181 meters
- Normal water level: 175 meters
- Total reservoir capacity: 39.3 billion cubic meters
- Flood control capacity: 22.15 billion cubic meters
- Installed power capacity: 22.5 million kilowatts
- Annual power output: over 100 billion kWh
The dam provides flood control, hydropower, shipping, and water management. It opened to visitors in 1997 and became a 5A-level national tourist attraction in 2007. Since 2014, entry has been free for Chinese visitors. More than 32 million people have visited so far.
Most Visitors Don’t Know: There Is a Second Dam
Many tourists only see the main dam from viewing platforms like Tanziling and 185 Platform. Few realize there is a second, smaller structure nearby:
The Three Gorges Auxiliary Dam (Maopingxi Dam)
Located on the south bank of the Yangtze, at the mouth of Maopingxi River, this auxiliary dam works with the main dam to hold back reservoir water.
- Construction started: July 1994
- Completed: 2003
- Type: asphalt concrete core rockfill dam
- Crest elevation: 185 meters
- Maximum height: 104 meters
- Length: 1,840 meters
- Total investment: 678 million yuan
Why Was This Auxiliary Dam Built?
The main dam generates power and controls floods. The auxiliary dam’s job is to protect land and people.
Without it:
- Water from the Three Gorges Reservoir would flow up Maopingxi River.
- Large areas of valleys and farmland would be submerged.
- Zigui’s county seat (Maoping) would become an island, cutting off roads and limiting development.
Experts studied the plan from 1984 to 1991 and finally decided to build the dam to protect the land.
Benefits of the Auxiliary Dam
- Protected 8,391 mu (about 559 hectares) of farmland
- Allowed thousands of residents to stay in their homes
- Saved and developed the Jiuli Industrial Zone
- Tunnels were built to drain local rivers naturally
Today, the auxiliary dam is in a restricted area and not open to public vehicles, so few tourists get to see it close up. Yet it plays a vital, quiet role in the entire Three Gorges Project.
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