The Three Gorges Dam, 30 kilometres west of Yichang in Sandouping town, is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world by installed capacity, and the scale of the structure is genuinely difficult to convey in photographs. Standing on the observation platforms above the dam face, the statistics become physical: a concrete wall 185 metres tall and 2,309 metres wide, holding back a reservoir that stretches 600 kilometres upstream into Chongqing municipality. The dam generates around 88 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, powering a significant fraction of central China.
The dam complex has multiple observation areas and a museum. Entry to the scenic area is free; the bus tour connecting the various viewpoints costs around ¥75. The five-stage ship lock on the north side of the dam is the engineering spectacle most worth seeing: vessels enter at the bottom of the Yangtze, rise 113 metres through five successive water chambers over several hours, and exit into the reservoir above. Viewing platforms overlook the entire operation. Allow a full morning to do the dam area justice. Buses to Sandouping depart from the main bus station in Yichang.