We went and visited the Three Gorges Dam Thursday afternoon. It is the biggest hydroelectric dam in the world. The dam spans across the entire river, it was amazing to see. There were huge turbines, 32 of them in total, generating the electricity. To get through the dam, a ship lock had to be built. The ship lock is not as big as the one at the Panama Canal, but it is free to go through for all ships.

The Three Gorges Dam and the Yangtze River.

The tour guide explained to us that the dam was built to end devastating floods in the area. In China, the government owns all of the land, so when they wanted to build the dam in this location, all residents currently living here were relocated. He said that many people in the older generation were very reluctant to move, because this is where their family had lived for generations. However, the younger generation was much more willing to move, because they knew that in the cities there was opportunity to make a better life for their families. Our tour guide was funny and had a very memorable laugh. He used common idioms such as a picture is worth a thousand words, but I was extremely surprised when he hit us with one of the best puns I have ever heard. When we were getting closer to the town we got off our boat at, the tour guide said “Am I a good dam guide, or a damn guide?” I laughed so much, as did many other people on the bus. The tour guide had a great personality and made our tour of the dam more fun and a lot more memorable. I think he is a good dam guide for sure.

The Three Gorges Dam Ship lock at night.