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China's Big Dam

Farmer Wang Zuolu grows oranges and peanuts on a hilltop overlooking China's beautiful Yangtze (Yang-zee) River. His family has lived there for generations in a farmhouse of thick, mud-packed walls that his great-grandfather built. "It's so peaceful here," says Wang. "We have no crime. We feel completely safe."

But Wang, 70, and his wife Zhang Changying, 60, know that their family's happy life on the hill is coming to an end. Soon their farm will be covered by water. They must start a new life in a new village that is farther away from the Yangtze. They will have to move their family cemetery and replant their orchards.

Wang and his wife are just two of the 1.2 million Chinese who are being forced from their homes by the construction of the world's largest and most powerful dam.

The Three Gorges Dam is named for three spectacular gorges, or canyons, in central China. It is the biggest construction job started in China since work began on the Great Wall more than 2,500 years ago. When it is completed, in 2009, the dam will use water power to create electricity. It will also prevent flooding by the Yangtze, which is sometimes called the Chang River. At the same time, it will change China's natural scenery and the lives of many of its people forever.

Great Wall Of Power
For hundreds of years, poets and painters have been inspired by the Yangtze, the third longest river in the world. They admire its winding path and the steep cliffs and flat plains that lie on either side of its waters.

But the Yangtze can rise over its banks and lash out at the Chinese with terrible floods. In this century alone, some 300,000 people have been killed by Yangtze floods.

Last November, China completed a temporary dam to dry up part of the riverbed. Workers are building a 600-foot-high wall that will stretch across the wide Yangtze. Engineers will install giant generators to create electricity for the area. When river water rushes through the generators, it will move wheels and magnets, producing hydroelectric power. The dam project will provide the same amount of energy as 15 large coal-burning power stations.

Hydroelectric power is better for the environment than power produced by burning coal, which is now China's main energy source. But many scientists say the dam will be an ecological disaster. It will destroy the natural surroundings (including the stunning gorges) and threaten many fish and animals.

Flooded Habitats And Homes
By blocking the flow of the Yangtze, the dam will create a 370-mile-long lake, or reservoir, west of the city of Yichang (Yee-chang). It will swallow hundreds of towns and villages.

The reservoir will also threaten the habitats of hundreds of fish, plant and animal species. Among the creatures at risk: rare river dolphins, clouded leopards and Siberian white cranes. The government promises to monitor the environment around the dam, and has set aside money to create a protective area for the dolphins.

But scientists are doubtful about promises. They warn that blocking the river will create sewage back-ups and perhaps even cause more floods. Some fear that the dam may collapse. Many dams in China have collapsed in the past 20 years.

China's culture and history are also endangered by the dam. Ancient pagodas (temples) and other important historic sites will be under water.

Losing A Beloved Land
The Chinese who must leave their homes are already feeling the impact of the Three Gorges Dam. These resettlers, or yimin(yee-min), have no choice but to find new homes and jobs. By 2009, about 200,000 students will have switched to new schools.

Some families are excited about moving from their run-down farms to new, more prosperous towns. While Wang is sad to leave his scenic spot, his trip to the market will be much shorter. "In the end, we'll make it work," he says. "It will take time to get used to the land."

But other elderly Chinese refuse to leave their ancestral homes. A study reported in March shows that moves are not going as smoothly as China claims. Some officials are said to be keeping the funds--about $3,000 a family--that they are supposed to distribute to yimin families to help them get settled. Says one relocation expert of his co-workers: "Once they have the money in their pocket, they disappear."

Despite their worries, the Chinese are not permitted to speak out against the project, which is expected to cost more than $24 billion. Journalist Dai Qing landed in prison after she criticized the dam. "There is only one Yangtze River," she wrote in protest. "And we have already subjected it to many stupid deeds."

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