How did the Three Gorges Dam improve shipping access to Chongqing?

The Three Gorges Dam significantly improved shipping access to Chongqing by creating an immense deepwater reservoir that extends through the gorges region. This transformation allows large, 3,000-ton oceangoing ships to sail directly up the Yangtze River to the city's ports. Furthermore, the complex includes five-tier ship locks that enable vessels of up to 10,000 tons to navigate past the dam, effectively linking inland Chongqing with coastal ports like Shanghai. A ship lift was also constructed to allow smaller vessels of up to 3,000 tons to bypass the locks and travel past the dam more quickly. These infrastructure improvements have solidified Chongqing's role as the leading port of southwestern China.123