The world's largest hydroelectric power station is located in Yichang County, Hubei Province of China. It is located on the Yangtze River and is called "Sansya" or "Three Gorges", translated into Russian. Its design capacity is 22.5 gigawatts.
Three Gorges Natural Region
The hydroelectric dam was built in a place called Sandoping in the middle of the Xiling Gorge, the longest of the three gorges along which the Yangtze River and its tributaries make their way through the Wushan mountain range. Xieling was previously considered dangerous for travel. It was full of frightening whirlpools and steep rapids. After the dam was commissioned, the river depth in this place increased from 3 meters to a hundred.
Above is the Wu Gorge or the Great Gorge - the second in the Sansya system. It is formed by the influx of the Yangtze River by the Unjiang River. It is called the Golden Helmet in Silver Armor gorge. The name comes from the form of the rocks rising above the river and their color. The water level, after the construction of a hydroelectric power station, rose by 30 meters.
The most beautiful of the three gorges is Kwutang. The width of this gorge does not exceed 150 meters, and the mountains on both sides reach 1200 meters. Narrow canyons among the high stepped mountains create an impressive picture. In addition, there are many attractions created both by nature itself and by human hands: chalk walls and stalactite caves, narrow footpaths in the mountains and much more.
The Three Gorges Natural Region is considered one of the most picturesque corners of the PRC, famous for its landscapes and historical monuments. Now, travel companies in China are celebrating a real boom in river cruises to these places. The world’s newly-built largest hydroelectric power station brought worldwide fame to the region.
