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How did the Three Gorges Dam change the Wu Gorge?
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Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam spanning the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) near Yichang, Hubei province, China.
The construction of the Three Gorges Dam significantly altered the Wu Gorge by submerging large areas of it under the dam's immense deepwater reservoir.1
This transformation is part of a broader environmental impact, as the reservoir covers approximately 600 km (375 miles) upstream, inundating parts of the Qutang, Wu, and Xiling gorges. Critics of the project have long argued that this flooding destroyed one of the most scenically beautiful areas in China, along with numerous historical and archaeological sites that vanished as water levels rose.12