America Cruises:

The Three Gorges Dam site is 27 miles upstream from YichangCity proper, at SandoupingTown, 38km upstream from the Gezhouba Dam Lock, inside the third of the Three Gorges. It is planned to be by far the largest hydroelectric project in the world. The Project calls for the construction of a concrete dam, a hydroelectric power plant and a series of locks just below the scenic Three Gorges region. The project is designed to be built in three phases and is scheduled for completion in year 2009. Upon arrival at Sandouping, passengers will take a bus across the ThreeGorgesBridge, which leads toward the top of the hill for a birds-eye view of the construction from the observation deck. Visitors will observe the five-step ship lock, the diversion canal, the dam in construction, and the power station. English speaking professional guides will be on hand to provide detailed information on the history of the dam and facts on its construction. In addition, an exhibition room displays a model of the dam, and offers passengers another opportunity to ask questions and learn about the benefits of this amazing project. One of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in the world, the Three Gorges Project will forever change the face of the Yangtze River as we know it today. Possessing comprehensive utilization benefits mainly for flood control, power generation and navigation improvement. With a long history of planning and more than a decade of construction, the dam body was finished in 2006. When the whole project is completed, it will contain 32 main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW. Except for a planned ship lift, all of the originally planned components of the project were completed on October 30, 2008, when the 26th generator  was brought into commercial operation.[1] Six additional generators in the underground power plant are being installed, not expected to become fully operational until around 2011. The total electric generating capacity of the dam will then reach 22,500MW.