Grand China Waterway Cruises

China Cultural Tour

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"This trip may only last for fifteen days, but the experience of Chinese culture and the memory of the beautiful Three Gorges scenery will last for a lifetime."

This is the only Tour to allow you to cruise YangTse River( with the largest Hydro Power dam/ship lock in the world) and ancient Grand Canal. During this tour you will feel the impact of the latest state-of-the-art technology and with the contrast of the 'Gone with the Wind' glory in the imperial old days. The Grand Canal of China is the most ancient canal in the world. Construction was started in 486 BC and the Canal was finally completed in year 1293, covering a long period of 1779 years. The Canal is 1794 Kilometers long, stretching from Beijing to HangZhou, covering six provinces of China. The Grand Canal penetrates five major river regions, including the Yellow River and YangTse River. It has been historically a major transportation waterway in China and had contributed a significant improvement to the economy of cities and towns along side the Grand Canal.

You will be cruising on the most scenic regions of the Grand Canal. Cruising on the Grand Canal in a ferry, like the local population, will take you back to the days of past imperial dynasties in China.

We have a video record CD of the Grand Canal, and major attractions in cities SuZhou and HangZhou showing you what you will be sightseeing in these regions.

Our Three Gorges Cruise is on China's first rated five-star river cruise ship. She is furnished in such a luxurious way that they will be able to accommodate all the kinds of VIPs in this world. Just name a few from their distinguished guest lists--Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Henry Kissinger. Managed by a western-trained management team, our cruise ship is perfectly suited for your Yangtze River journey. The fully air-conditioned our ship is 300 feet long, 54 feet wide, with a shallow draft designed for river cruising. Each of the 78 identical cabins features color television for video viewing, a minibar/refrigerator, radio, in-room safe, and private bathroom facilities with shower and hair dryer. The cabins are the most spacious available on the Yangtze River. The panoramic restaurant, featuring Chinese and Western cuisine, serves meals in single seatings. Other facilities include an observation lounge, snack bar, boutique, night club, fitness center with sauna and whirlpool, and ample deck space. Physician on board.

We will visit two most popular cities in China, SuZhou and HangZhou :

SuZhou Attractions click here

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Three Gorges Cruise

A trip of the lifetime will be the cruise down the YangTze River to view the largest hydro project in the World, the Three Gorges Project of China. The Yangtze River is the longest river in China as well as one of the longest rivers in the world. The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River are famous for their breathtaking scenery, and are praised as nature's art gallery and wonderland. Of the three Gorges, the Qutang Gorge is magnificent and precipitous, the Wuxia Gorge is deep and beautiful and the Xiling Gorge has rapids and many rocks. The water in the Mini Three Gorges is clean and both banks are blanketed with trees and have many historical sites, scenic spots and lovely legends. Today, a huge dam is being built along the Three Gorges. After completion, it will offer visitors a new look amidst the precipitous gorges.

Year 2004 Tour schedule

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About Tour Operator Tony

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click above figure to learn about Three Gorges Project

How China solves nationwide Water Shortage Problem

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2003 Hiking Group Diary

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Voyage in the Three Gorges: Retrospect

While being claimed as a worldwide famous "golden channel, " the Three Gorges area actually was once a dangerous waterway. Its 311 shoals and reefs -- with a reef in every 3.3 kilometers on average -- threatened the ships and everyone traveling on the river .

Shoals and Reefs

Among the many dangerous shoals in the area there are such ones named as Konglingtan, Xintan, Xietan and Xinglongtan. Before powerboat was introduced to China, all the boats sailing on the Yangtze River had to be dragged by boat trackers when they passed this section of the waterway. A heavily-loaded boat might need as many as hundreds of boat trackers to drag it on. The boat trackers, who made a living by selling their labor, had to face the dangers everyday. A little carelessness might cause the boat turn over and threaten the boat trackers' lives.

The thrilling Three Gorges have attracted many travelers, but the tough sailing conditions had delayed the rise of the people's living standard and economic development of the area. In ancient times, when the simple and primeval ships were the only means of transportation, they brought prosperity to the towns on the banks. The dangerous shoals and reefs fostered the courageousness and optimism of the dwellers on the banks. After the Three Gorges reservoir began to store water, though, the dangerous channel has become a safe and real "golden channel".

Archibald John Little, an Englishman, took a steamer to sail along the Three Gorges in 1899. He wrote a book entitled Through the Yangtze Gorges, or Trade and Travel in Western China, in which he described the scaring and legendary waterway, the beautiful and primitive scenery and the lifestyle of the local people.

Wang Gang, chief mate of S. S. Hongwang, who has five years of experience sailing on the river, hopes to do better business following the completion of the Three Gorges Dam Project. "The channel will be safer and faster," he said.

Sailing upstream for about half an hour from Maoping ferry, you will reach Xintan town, which is also called Qingtan, a name from the most dangerous shoal in the Yangtze River. Landslides took place frequently in the area too. Each of them put the town of Xintan in an even more dangerous situation. According to Commentary on the Waterways Classic, Xintan had been attacked by landslides twice, in the year of 100 and 377 respectively, which blocked the river and caused backwash.

The new town is built on the slope 100 meters higher than the old one. At its central square stands the Plant Monument, which was moved here from its old site. The monument was built with donation from the offspring of S. C. Plant, an English seaman and navigator. Plant played an important role in the voyage history of the Three Gorges area. He was the first river inspector assigned to investigate and supervise navigations and maintenance of the voyage-assisting equipment on the Yangtze River.

Plant came to China in 1900. He served as captain of both a British merchant ship and two Chinese ships. He even built a wood ship and ran his freight business between Yichang and Chongqing on the Yangtze River for 15 years. Plant was very familiar with the shoals and channel conditions of the river. After he became the river inspector, Plant placed a series of light buoys and markers along the channel. He wrote Handbook for the Guidance of Shipmasters on the lchang-Chungking Section of the Yangtze River and trained the first-generation navigators in the Three Gorges area. He stayed in China for 21 years, of which six years were spent in Xintan. He died on his way returning home.

There are always two sides of a story, so is the Plant legend. When Plant sailed to Sichuan in1900, he shot down one of the "lungs of horse" while passing through the Niugan Mafei (meaning liver of cow and lungs of horse) Gorge. He even knocked down two Chinese wooden boats and caused two casualties when he passed the Xietan shoal.

When Western powerboats entered the Three Gorges, they also deprived the local people of business, causing many bloody fights.

Zheng Kebin and Zheng Bishan, both having voyage experience of over 40 years, know the terrain of Xintan like the back of their hands. According to Zheng Kebin, the Xintan shoals include three parts from west to east. The first part has many reefs. When boats passed there, they had to sail carefully, following a zigzag course on the river. It was even worse in spring and winter, when the water was shallow and only the lightly-loaded boats could pass. Very often, the boats had to be unloaded in order to pass through this section. Since the freight had to be discharged there, Xintan ferry became the busiest on the Three Gorges channel. So, for several generations, most local people made their livings either in shipping or in ferry-related jobs.

boat trackers

"Many boatmen couldn't control their boats which were turned over by the rapids, causing the loss of many lives. And sometimes the boat trackers were also entangled into the river," Zheng Kebin recalled. On the north bank of Xintan shoals there is a "white bone tower", which is said to have been formed by the dead in the river.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the government invested 200 million yuan (about US$24.2 million) to remove the most dangerous reefs in the Yangtze River. After the Gezhouba reservoir began to store water, the Xintan shoals disappeared.

Lin Wenhu, a leader of the Xintan town, said that Xintan was thriving before June 1985, when a large-scale landslide happened. In the tragedy, nearly 1,000 houses were destroyed and pushed into the river. A greater part of the ancient town disappeared after the tragedy. Only several dozens of the old houses were left on the south bank of the river to shelter several hundred people.

Now with the Three Gorges reservoir having already stored water, the town of Xintan was submerged in the reservoir. The residents were already moved to Fenghuangling (Phoenix Hill) of the new Zigui County seat. Xintan town was also renamed Quyuan town. Gone with the name is the thousand-year-long Xintan voyage culture.

(China.org.cn by Chen Lin February 14, 2004)

http://www.china.com.cn/english/2004/Feb/87222.htm

Three Gorges power plant generates 8.6 bln kwh of electricity

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, January 04, 2004

China's Three Gorges hydropower plant, with six generating units now in operation, had generated 8.6 billion kwh of electricity by the end of 2003.

The first generating unit went into operation in July 2003, and another five were put into use successively. The plant plans to commission four more generating units in 2004.

Situated in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the plant is designed to have a total of 26 generating units with each having an installed capacity of 700,000 kw.

When all units are in operation, expected by 2009, the plant will be able to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200401/04/eng20040104_131794.shtml

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Four more generators are expected to be installed and go into operation next year on the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze, China's longest river.

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 30, 2003

Four more generators are expected to be installed and go into operation next year on the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze, China's longest river. The four generators will have an installed capacity of 700,000 kw each, according to sources from China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation. The gigantic water control project will be installed with 26 generators. On completion in 2009, the entire project, which is also to play a role in flood control, will be able to generate 84.7 billion kw/hours of electricity a year. The Three Gorges Project began construction in 1993. So far, six generators have been installed and put into operation since July 10. Hydro-electric power generated by the project is transmitted to central and eastern Chinese regions and southwestern Chongqing Municipality, said an official with the Three Gorges Hydropower Plant. He said that project would be able to generate 8.5 billion kw/hours of electricity by the end of the year. Enditem

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200312/30/eng20031230_131498.shtml

Three Gorges project to get four generators each year from 2004 to 2009

www.chinaview.cn 2003-11-22 20:25:23

GUIYANG, Nov. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Four electricity generators will be installed each year from 2004 to 2009 at the Three Gorges Project, the world's biggest water conservation project, on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Liu Kuanghua, chief accountant with the Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, disclosed the information at an on-going national meeting on water control and power generation, in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. Five power generators have gone into operation at the Three Gorges Project and another is expected to be connected to the power grid before the end of this year, Liu said. Begun in 1993 and expected to be completed in 2009 at an estimated total cost of 180 billion yuan (21.8 billion US dollars),the Three Gorges Project will have 26 generators, each with a capacity of 700,000 kw. The Three Gorges Project began to pay dividends this year, also playing an important role in flood control, power generation, navigation, water diversion and environmental protection. This year alone, it is expected to supply 6,130 million kwh of electricity to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and the central China and east China power grids. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-11/22/content_1193233.htm

Three Gorges project: another generator fires up

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, November 23, 2003

The No.1 generator at the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River was connected to the power grid and began commercial operation Saturday morning. All six of the first group of generators in the gigantic water control project are now generating power, 40 days ahead of schedule. At 9am Saturday morning, the No.1 generator successfully completed a 72-hour trial run, and formally started operation. At 9:13am, the big screen at the central control center at the Three Gorges Power Plant showed that the six generators were transmitting more than 3.5 million kilowatts for the east China and central China power grids, as well as the power grids of southwest China's Chongqing municipality and Sichuan province. Li Yong¡¯an, Party Secretary of China Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, said, "We've finished the installation of six generators each with a capacity of 700,000 kilowatts. This is the world's fastest installation ever. Today, we are generating 3.5 million kilowatts as the biggest power plant in China." The installation of the No.1 generator started last October and was completed 175 days earlier than the No.2 generator which was the first to begin formal power generation on July 10. The original construction schedule planned for only four generators to be installed this year. In fact, six generators are now in operation. So far, the Three Gorges Project has generated 5.33 billion kilowatts of electricity. When the Project is completed in 2009 there will be 26 generators, able to generate 84.7 billion kilowatts a year.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200311/23/eng20031123_128820.shtml

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China ready for third phase of Three Gorges project

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www.chinaview.cn 2003-09-05 21:13

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The world's largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges Project, is ready for the third and final six-year phase of construction to begin next year, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Friday.

The second phase of the Three Gorges Project was completed as scheduled with the operation of four power generating units in August.

Premier Wen told the 13th session of the State Council Three Gorges Project Construction Committee that the tasks in the third phase of the project will still be hard despite the success of the second phase.

From 2004 to the end of 2009, the construction of the dam and power station workshops will be going on and most of the hydropower generating units and related high-voltage electrical apparatuses would also be installed.

Wen vowed that the country will make every effort to improve the living standards of residents and boost the economy in the Three Gorges area.

The government will keep putting forward preferential policies and practical measures to better finance the area's economic development while urging governments of other provinces and regions to offer help, he added.

Over 400,000 people in the reservoir areas are awaiting relocation in the next six years, and over 720,000 residents have already been relocated.

The country will impose rigid supervision on the quality of construction and guarantee the safety of workers by improving security measures and management, the premier said.

In the third phase of the project, 3,100-km alternating current lines and 2,000-km direct current lines as well as an expansion inpower transformer and inversion capacities will be built.

While the third phase construction is moving on, efforts will be made to protect the environment in the reservoir area and reduce the damage of natural disasters, Wen said.

The country will keep dealing with water pollution and preserving natural forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River while building a monitoring network for the environment of the reservoir area, he added.

The management of the use of the reservoir and channels as wellas shipping and tourism in the area will be further improved, he said.

The Three Gorges Project, with a total investment of 180 billion yuan, started in 1993 and is scheduled for completion in 2009. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-09/05/content_1065887.htm

The Dam in May 2003

The boat approaching the shiplock...

Inside shiplock water level lowered and gate opened...

Boats passed through four shiplocks sequentially...

Boat passed through the shiplocks and being lowered down 113 meters...

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

Three Gorges Project Realizing Century-old Dream ( from peopledaily.com.cn)

As the sluice gate started to close, violent water was tamed.

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).

http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200306/01/eng20030601_117540.shtml

Three Gorges Reservoir Begins Storing Water (Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2003)

The Three Gorges reservoir officially began to store water as the sluice gate started to close at 00:00 Sunday.

The water level will rise by four to five meters daily and is expected to reach an altitude of 135 meters by June 15. Navigation on the Yangtze River is planned to resume on June 16 after having been suspended for 67 days.

By then, a huge reservoir will gradually emerge between the area of Sandouping in central Hubei Province and Chongqing Municipality on the upper reaches of the Yangtze.

After a decade of building, the Three Gorges project begins to pay dividends this year, playing an important part in flood control, power generation, navigation, water diversion and environmental protection.

Two generating units will begin operation in August to provide a total of 5.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity by the end of this year to China's eastern and central regions, where power supply is insufficient.

Initial storage of water has actually been conducted for the past days in preparation for formal operation, with the water level surpassing 100 meters on Saturday from the previous 78 meters. Many people living nearby came to see the water level rising in the reservoir.

"The water's rising so fast," said Du Chengli, "My family moved out of our hometown several years ago to make way for the project. We've been waiting for this moment."

Over 720,000 local residents like Du have moved to new homes. Experts estimate that the whole project will involve the relocation of over one million people in all. The central authorities have offered plenty of financial aid for their resettlement.

The Three Gorges, which consist of Qutang, Wuxia and Xiling Gorges, extend for 200 kilometers on the upper reaches of the Yangtze. They have become a popular tourist destination noted for beautiful natural landscapes and many historic sites and cultural relics.

While the higher water level would not affect the landscape, efforts have been made to protect the environment and cultural relics, and control geological disasters, according to Liu Guangrun, academician of the China Academy of Engineering.

When the reservoir plays its role fully, tens of millions of people on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River will be markedly less threatened by floods, said Zheng Shouren, one of the designers of the massive water control project.

The Three Gorges Water Control Project is the first large scale project in China as approved by the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. Construction of the project began in 1993, with an estimated total investment of 180 billion yuan (US$21.8 billion).

The water level is expected to reach an altitude of 175 meters by 2009 when the whole project is completed, with the reservoir's storage capacity planned at 39.3 billion cubic meters.

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

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2003)

Experts Affirm Safety of Three Gorges Reservoir

Chinese geological experts have reassured the public that water filling of the Three Gorges reservoir will be safe and reliable amid fears of possible geological disasters such as catastrophic earthquakes.

"The 135-meter-deep reservoir won't cause major geological disasters that would endanger the dam's safety, hamper navigation or incur great losses," said Liu Guangrun, chief scientist of geological disasters prevention at the Three Gorges.

The reservoir's sluice gate was closed on Sunday and the water level is expected to rapidly rise to 135 meters within two weeks.

"China has established its largest-ever system to prevent and control probable geological disasters at Three Gorges area," said Liu, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Liu said the sites where minor geological disasters had been discovered or were at risk were closely monitored or controlled.

Geological disasters like landslides, collapses and muck-rock flows were very common before the construction of the Three Gorges Project, sparking fears about possible calamities after the water storage.

"We are capable of handling geological disasters, given our current engineering technologies," Liu said.

Lin Wenliang, a senior official with the Three Gorges Project Bureau of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee, agreed that the filling of the Three Gorges reservoir was unlikely to lead to catastrophic earthquakes.

"There is a small possibility the reservoir causing earthquakes because it is belt-shaped, extending 660 km, and in such a big area, the per unit pressure caused by 35 billion cubic meters of water will be insignificant," Lin explained.

Moreover, Lin went on, the Three Gorges Project was built on a complete solid granite structure where no rupture had been recorded for thousands of years, so even if there was an earthquake caused by the reservoir, the intensity would be no bigger than six degrees on the Richter scale, the strongest recorded earthquake in the Three Gorges Area.

"The nearest previous earthquake rupture zone is 39 km from the site of the Three Gorges Dam, but the Three Gorges Project is designed to withstand earthquakes measuring seven degrees on the Richter scale," Lin added.

During the past two years, China has invested four billion yuan (US$482 million) in the prevention and control project of geological disasters in the Three Gorges area.

A geological disasters monitoring and early warning system had also been set up in the Three Gorges reservoir area, said Hu Xuqing, an official in charge of the geological calamities prevention office of the reservoir area, Chongqing, western China's biggest municipality.

"We have launched 24-hour monitoring of the geological situation in the reservoir area and will issue early warnings if necessary," Hu said.

Advanced technologies like satellite remote sensing had also been used in monitoring the geological situation in the reservoir area.

The construction of the Three Gorges Project, the world's biggest hydro-electric project, began in 1993 and is expected to be completed in 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2003)

http://www.china.org.cn/english/2003/Jun/66115.htm

How to Maintain Quality Water in Three Gorges Area?

The Minister for State Environmental Protection Administration, Xie Zhenhua, Thursday addressed a press conference in Beijing, and explained the government ? policies to adopt control of pollution and guarantee water quality in the Three Gorges reservoir.

At the press conference sponsored by the State Council Information Office, he released the 2002 Report on China ? Environmental Status.

According to Xie, China has set up a water-quality monitoring network for the Yangtze River valley and began to monitor water quality on May 25. Till Wednesday, the monitoring results showed that the quality of the reservoir water had no big changes, but the pollution of fecal Escherichia coli is serious, especially in the water from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It is still the important work to build sewage treatment plants and solve the problem of daily rubbish, especially human excrement and urine.

Xie said that in order to solve these problems, China has adopted many effective measures and they are:

First, a reservoir pollution-preventing plan has been implemented for more than two years. So far, all counties in the reservoir area have begun to build garbage treatment plants and sewage disposal plants, amongst which 60 percent of the sewage disposal plants will go into operation this month. By the end of this year, except ones in Chongqing (due to funding shortages), all sewage disposal plants in the reservoir area will have been put into operation. By the end of next year, with two of the biggest sewage disposal plants in Chongqing being put into use, all areas above county level will settle the problem of sewage disposal.

During this period, those towns which may directly pollute the water in the reservoir must build garbage treatment plants and sewage disposal plants also. Such projects are now under way in the upper reaches of the reservoir with some 5 billion yuan already invested. The total investment is designed to reach 20 billion yuan.

Second, after water is stored in the reservoir, the water quality in the caudal regions of the reservoir -- a dead water area and water-control area -- will possibly turn out to be worse. Therefore, it is necessary to implement water-purifying projects in these areas so as to avoid severe pollution in these regions.

Third, ships are the main cause of oil pollution in the Yangtze River, especially in the reservoir area. A specific legislation has been jointly enforced by transportation authorities and local shipping authorities. At the same time, ships are asked to adopt some measures to reduce oil pollution and rubbish dumping.

Fourth, floating garbage has appeared on the river. The long-range resolution is to build garbage treatment facilities. At present, all over the drainage areas of the Yangtze River, including both the countryside and the cities, people are used to piling garbage beside the river to be flushed away by flooding, so only by building garbage treatment facilities in cities and towns as well as on the river? upper reaches, can the problem be settled completely. Present measures artificially retrieve the garbage from the water. Some big cities also have special retrieving equipment.

(China.org.cn June 5, 2003)

http://www.china.org.cn/english/2003/Jun/66288.htm

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 09, 2003

Three Gorges Dam Costs Less, Turns out More

In 2009 10,000 tons of Ocean liners will be raised 113 meters in 5 Locks

Some sectors of the Three Gorges Dam Project have cost less than anticipated in the original budget. Meanwhile, the authorities responsible for the grand project have promised a low expense for project construction, but a high output of electricity at a low price level.

Investment into the Three Gorges Dam Project is summarized into static and dynamic investment. Static investment for the largest water project in China, is estimated at over 11 billion US dollars. Dynamic investment, which varies with commodity price level, bank interest rates and currency rates, totaled 204 billion yuan, or about 25 billion US dollars in the original budget. But the actual figure is nearly 10 percent lower.

"Dynamic investment has dropped dramatically with China's stable commodity prices and low interest rate over the past few years. The project will cost a little less than what the budget says," said Guo Shuayan, director of The Three Gorges Dam Project Construction Commission.

Guo said that the water project will alleviate electricity shortages in China's economically developed areas in the east and south. The price level is to be maintained at 70 perecent of the nation's average. He says the project will not trigger price rises in China, and will pave the way for the formation of a nationwide electricity supply network in China.

The construction director said they are attempting to preserve all cultural relics at all costs, relocating some of them to higher ground. He said, "Our relocation plan includes all cultural relics that are confirmed by experts. We are excavating millions of square meters of cultural sites for relocation."

The cost of cultural relics preservation was initially put at 200 million yuan, or about 25 million US dollars, but the real expenses have tripled that figure.

The Three Gorges is home to tens of thousands of historical and cultural relics. Precious relics dated at thousands of years old have been uncovered in the area. Some of them have been relocated without any loss of their original features.

http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200306/09/eng20030609_117914.shtml

Three Gorges Project Opens to Navigation

Two passenger ships passed through the huge, towering Three Gorges Dam ship lock on the Yangtze River Monday morning, signifying the accomplishment of a major goal of the world's largest water control project.

From Monday, the two-way five-step permanent ship lock will open for a one-year trial navigation period, said a source with the Ministry of Communications.

Addressing a official ceremony marking the launch of the trial navigation, Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan said: "the construction of the Three Gorges Project has made significant progress with the achievement of the water storage and navigation targets."

By June 10, the water level of the mammoth Three Gorges Reservoir had risen to the height of 135 meters with a total water storage of 12.3 billion cubic meters, paving the way for navigation and power generation plans.

Sources with the Three Gorges navigation bureau acknowledged that the once risky Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River was much easier to navigate thanks to the high water level. It would also allow much greater traffic volume.

"It's a life-long dream fulfilled," said a relocated resident named Wang Kaihuai. Wang, whose former shanty home had been inundated by the rising waters, returned to his native Three Gorges area to witness the great historical moment.

"Raging rapids and shoals in the Three Gorges area have swallowed and devoured many of my fellow folks, including one in my own family," Wang recalled with somewhat a sense of bitterness. But he added with assurance: "Now that the Three Gorges Project is built, we're sure to live a much better life in the future."

The water level will ultimately reach 175 meters by the year 2009, when the entire project is completed, thus further improving navigation on the mighty Yangtze, China's longest river.

Wang has witnessed only the beginning of the benefits brought about by the Three Gorges Project, located in and around Yichang city in central Hubei province.

The months ahead will see the project start to generate hydro-electric power, on a small scale in the first phase construction, to back up China's vigorous economic growth.

The total installed generating capacity of the Three Gorges Hydropower Station amounts to 18.2 million kilowatts, making it the largest of its kind worldwide.

A total of 26 hydropower-generating units will be installed consecutively, which together would produce 84.6 billion kwh of electricity annually. The first two units are expected to go into operation by the end of 2003.

The gigantic project is also expected to play a vital role in water supply and the control of floods that pose threats to adjacent and surrounding cities.

Having a designed water storage capacity of 39.3 billion cubic meters, with 22.15 billion for flood control, the project enables it to reduce the flow of flood peaks by 27,000 to 33,000 cubic meters per second and to guarantee the safety of local residents and their property assets as well as modernization development in the Three Georges area and in China as a whole.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2003)

http://www.china.org.cn/english/2003/Jun/67175.htm

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, July 10, 2003

World's Largest Generator Connected to Power Grids in China

The first power generator of China's Three Gorges Project, the largest of its kind in the world, was connected to the power grid to begin generating electricity at 01:31 a.m. on Thursday morning, 20 days ahead of schedule.

Yang Qing, vice-general manager of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, said the generating unit, known as the No.2 unit, will supply 12.9 million kwh per day to the Central China and East China Power Grids.

The unit will have to pass a 30-day trial operation period under the observation of engineers before beginning commercial production in mid-August, said Yang.

The 7,700-ton unit, built by a consortium comprised of Hewitt, Siemens and General Electric, has a generating capacity of 700,000kW, according to the vice-general manager.

The integration into the two Chinese power grids followed a successful 72-hour trial period on July 7.

The first attempted trial operation on July 1 failed as it lasted about 68 hours, falling short of the 72 hours required.

The failure of a sensor in a water purification system providing cooling water for the unit triggered the shutdown of the operation. The second trial operation began on July 4.

The generating unit has been turned over to the Three Gorges Hydraulic Power Plant, which will assume its operational management.

A total of 26 generating units will be installed before the project is completed in 2009.

Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project will begin to pay dividends later this year, playing an important role in flood control, power generation, navigation, water diversion and environmental protection.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200307/10/eng20030710_119866.shtml

New Task Schedule for Three Gorges Project Announced

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, June 21, 2003

Construction of the Three Gorges Project on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River will concentrate on three major tasks on the southern side in the next six years.

The tasks are the construction of the giant dam on the southern bank, workshops to house 12 generators, and the vertical ship lift, said an executive of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation.

Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project, consisting of a dam, workshops for 26 generators and facilities for navigation, is being built in three stages.

Preparations and construction of the first phase were carried out between 1993 and 1997, and the second phase took from 1998 to 2003. The new phase features the reservoir's water storage, the operation of the first group of generating units, and the passage of ships through the permanent sluice gate.

About 70 percent of the Three Gorges Project, which is expected to cost 180 billion yuan (21.69 billion US dollars), has been completed.

The third phase of the project will see the water level reach the expected altitude of 175 meters.

Concrete pouring in dam construction on the southern bank would start soon and reach a peak in 2004, said the executive.

By May 2007, the 665-meter dam on the southern bank should be ready to hold water and the water level in the Three Gorges reservoir will rise to 156 meters. All civil engineering work on the southern bank will be finished by December 2007.

Installation of the 12 generators will start in December 2005. The first two generators will begin operation in 2007 and the others, by late December 2009.

The vertical ship lift is designed to expedite passage of passenger ships, and the details of its construction of are still under consideration. Building of the lift is expected to start in 2005 for service in 2009.

On completion, the lift will accommodate a ship up to 3,000 deadweight tons (dwt) or barges of 1,500 dwt. By 2009, the Three Gorges Project, where 26 power-generating units with a combined capacity of 18.2 million kw will be operational, will be able to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200306/21/eng20030621_118661.shtml

Three Gorges No.3 Generator Connected to Power Grid

The third power generator of China's Three Gorges Project began operation after it was connected to the power grid Monday morning.

Zhang Cheng, director of the Three Gorges Hydraulic Power Station, said the generator, known as the No.3 generating unit and built by the multinational consortium VGS, has a generating capacity of 700,000 kw. It was put into trial operation on Aug. 2.

The first two 700,000-kw generators in service at the hydropower station began commercial operation in July this year.

By Monday, the hydropower station had generated 1.1 billion kwh of electricity, said Zhang.

According to Yang Qing, deputy general manager of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, four generators -- and possibly six if everything goes well -- will be operational this year.

Launched in 1993 and expected to be completed in 2009, the Three Gorges Project has begun to pay dividends recently, playing an important role in flood control, power generation, navigation, water diversion and environmental protection.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2003)

http://www.china.org.cn/english/2003/Aug/72716.htm

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