Three Gorges Dam

Dam spanning China's Yangtze River (Chang Jiang).

Construction began in 1993, and on its completion in 2006 it was the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, reaching a height of 607 ft (185 m) and stretching 1.4 mi (2.3 km) across the Yangtze. When fully operational, it will have the capacity to produce a vast quantity of hydroelectricity from 26 generators and will create an immense deepwater reservoir that will allow 10,000-ton freighters to navigate 1,400 mi (2,250 km) inland from the East China Sea. The controversial project displaced more than a million people and inundated magnificent scenery and some archaeological sites.