Cargo ships cruising along the Yangtze River in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges. An area of great beauty, for centuries the tumultuous Three Gor
Cargo ships cruising along the Yangtze River in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges. An area of great beauty, for centuries the tumultuous Three Gorges awed its viewers, and inspired some of China's greatest poets and artists. These days the gorges are home to the world's largest electricity-generating plant. Spanning the lower length of the Xiling Gorge, the dam was built to serve three purposes: electricity, increase the river's navigation capacity and reduce the potential for floods, which have claimed 350,000 lives in the last 200 years alone. But it has also flooded a reported 8000 archaeological and cultural sites, displacing million people (official figures - lobby groups place figures up to 50% more than this), and causing significant ecological changes, including an increased risk of landslides, sediment buildup and erosion. Riddled with corruption, a week after the dam started filling, in 2002, cracks appeared on the dam wall. These buildings, close to the city of Chongqing, were not affected by the dam.
Size: 5380px × 3600px
Photo credit: © Leisa Tyler / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 3, asian, asians, bank, banks, boat, boats, cargo, chang, changjiang, chinese, dam, exteriors, freighter, freighters, gorges, jiang, marine, outdoor, outdoors, river, riverine, rivers, ship, ships, transport, transportation, vessel, vessels, water, watercourses, waterway, waterways, yangste, yangtse, yangtze, yangzte
