Three Gorges Dam Project

Day 06 March 11, 2017

How many of you have heard of the Three Gorges Dam Project in China? It was the largest construction project in China since the Great Wall. It was a monumental project. The dam itself is one and a half miles wide and 600 feet high. When it was completed it created a reservoir hundreds of feet deep and over 400 miles long. The hydro power from the turbines are capable of producing more power than 18 nuclear power plants. For a nation with a population of one billion four hundred million people they need all the electricity they can get. While there are positives to this project, there were also many negatives. Over 129 cities and towns were submerged by the lake, with a resultant relocation of one million two hundred thousand residents. These residents were classified as immigrants in the home of their birth. Their assimilation into the surrounding cities has met with a great deal of resistance. The success or failure of the Three Gorges Dam Project will be decided some time in the future.

Three Gorges Dam

A little bit about our traveling companions. There are 14 of us... one couple from Australia (by way of Great Britain), one couple from Canada, one couple from Washington, D.C., two couples from Arizona and two couples from Alabama. A great group and we have certainly enjoyed getting to know each other and hearing of their adventures as they travel the world.

These Chinese girls wanted their pictures made with Americans. Hankins said he was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mary Ann & Chinese man (he wanted his picture taken also)

Chinese child, very cute (Her grandparents wanted her to pose. She acted like a typical child.)

When we left Jingzhou to drive to the ship, we had to merge our group with a group of Germans. We boarded their bus. They were not aboard when we got on the bus, so we had to pick our seats. Our guide moved items from several seats so we could sit down. We were having a discussion about the reaction the Germans would have when they got back on their bus with a bunch of strangers in their seats. Jason, formerly from Great Britain now from Australia, told everyone to keep quiet and do not mention WW2. Not a word was said by any one.

Chinese house boat

Jerry & Linda Hatfield, Captain's table night

Tram from hilltop to ship (not everything is modern)

The ship is nice and the food is good. I must say that when we found out we were having spaghetti last night we were very excited.

Fish on a stick

When our 4 year old grand son was told his grand parents were in China...he asked "are they going to see a panda bear? You know that is where they live."