Three Gorges Dam

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Three Gorges Dam

dam, China

Also known as: The Sanxia

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 • Article History

Three Gorges Dam, dam on the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) just west of the city of Yichang in Hubei province, China. When construction of the dam officially began in 1994, it was the largest engineering project in China. At the time of its completion in 2006, it was the largest dam structure in the world. The dam and accompanying hydroelectric plant were built in phases and over the course of many years. It reached its full generating capacity in 2012. The dam allows the navigation of oceangoing freighters and generates hydroelectric power. It was also intended to provide protection from ...(100 of 1053 words)

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