The full name of Three Gorges project is Three Gorges multipurpose water control project. The whole project includes a concrete gravitational dam, a sluice gate, a latter dike hydroelectric power station, a perpetual navigation ship lock and a ship lift. The building of the project is made up of three parts the dam, the factory building and opening-navigation building .The top of the dam is 3035 meters long and 185 meters high. There're 26 machines, 14 on the left and 12 on the right. A small wheel generating set has a front row capacity of 700,000kws. The total installed capacity is 1,820 kW/h. Annual generated energy reaches 84.7 billion kW/H. The navigation building locates at the left bank, including a double -lined and five -package consecutive ship lock and a first -rate vertical ship -lift.

Three Gorges project will last for 18 years of three periods. The First phase (1992-1997) lasted for five years. Besides the preparation work, the chief project included first period cofferdam, the beginning of the diversion channel, a concrete longitudinal cofferdam and a temporary ship lock (120 meters high), the beginning of a left bank perpetual ship lock, a lift and part of stone dam at the left bank.

Now the first phase has been finished after the Yangtze River was dammed in November 1997.The water level has been raised to 88 meters from the original 68 meters.

The finished diversion channel can support the maximum discharge of 2,000 cubic meter per second. Therefore, the water transportation and shipping on the Yangtze River wouldn't be affected a lot. It's guaranteed that navigation is smooth during the building period.

The second phase will last for six gears (1998--2003). The major task is to build the second period of cofferdam and equipment and the settling of the left bank station .At the same time, a perpetual special grade ship lock and the construction of the ship lift are to be continued and be scheduled to finish. In June 2003, the retained water in the dam would be raised to 35 meters high and be stretched into WanXan City along the Yangtze River. As a result of this, ZhangFei Temple would be inundated and water would become steady and smooth, so that those entire dangerous shoals could never be seen again and there would be no difference between upstream and downstream during the inner part of the River. The perpetual Navigation would be accomplished and be put into practice; the first machine unit on the left begins to generate electricity in the same year.

The six -year Third phase (2003 -2009) is planed to continue the right -back dam and the station. Besides, all the machine sets are to be fixed. On the occasion, Three Gorges Reservoir would be a smooth -leveled and valley -like reservoir with the length of 600 kilometers, the width of 200 meters and the area of 1000km2. The average depth of the water would increase 10 to 100 meters than now .The normal retaining water level is 175 meters above sea level in winter; while on the account of resisting blood in summer, the water lever is approximately 145 meters above sea level. After retaining, the front dam water level is to be raised about 100 meters. Thus some landscapes and places of interests would be under the influence. When the second project is over, ZhangFei Temple would be flooded; in the year of 2006, the water would be increased to 156 meters and QuYuan Temple in Zigui would be submerged; in 2009, the dam is to be completed. Three yeas later, that's 2012, the final water level would reach 175 meters high. The actual raising of water is 110 meters. The back water would trace back 650 kilometers to the boundaries of Chongqing .The existing tourist spots can be preserved till the end of the second phase in 2003. After the completion of the whole project in 2009, 39 man-made and natural landscapes in the region would be submerged entirely or partly, taking up 13% of all the landscapes along the reservoir region. Because of their relative high elevation, two regions, Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge, just have a increasing of water level of 80 meters. Moreover, the mountain series and cliffs in both banks posses an elevation of hundreds meters or even thousands. Except part of ancient plank roads and dissolved holes, others wouldn't have a great change. In the west sector of XiLing Gorge Region, only BingShuBaoJian Gorge and NiuGanMaFei Gorge would be submerged. However, Yellow Gorge and Light Shadow Gorge in eastern sector between the two dams would still exist. So along the famous Three Gorges, Goddess peak would still stand gracefully and Kui Gate still be grand. Although a few of the scenes would disappear, about a hundred new landscapes would emerge owing to the raising of backwater. BaiDi City and Shibaozai would become BaiDi Island and ShiBao Island respectively. Many branches of Changjiang River from a variety of tourist resources is waiting for us to cultivate and utilize. Though the Yangtze River grand dam was damned, the landscapes are still charming. Afterwards, the cruise ships along the routine will be built lager and will be more smooth and comfortable. The focus of the tourism will change, the tour lines will be varied and the present structure will take a new look. Perhaps people will not be worried about the merits or demerits of the upstream and the downstream, nor will cruise company cover the price difference in two situation .The Three Gorges dam centered golden tourist region will become a splendid shining star on the Yangtze River.