YANGTZE RIVER & THREE GORGES DAM

The Yangtze or Yangzi is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows 6,300 km in a generally easterly direction to the East China Sea. It is the fifth-largest primary river by discharge volume in the world.

When construction of the Three Gorges 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 floods, but this point has been debated.