The Chinese have always dreamed of taming the mighty Yangtze (Yang-tsee) River. The world's third longest waterway has inspired poems and paintings. But its fierce floods have also killed hundreds of thousands of people.
On November 8, trucks dumped boulders into a part of the river, finishing a key stage in building the world's biggest dam. The project, called Three Gorges Dam, will put a large area in central China underwater: farms, historical sites and three breathtaking canyons, or gorges.
The dam will be a huge wall across the Yangtze. Generators in the dam will harness the river's power, creating enough electricity to meet a tenth of China's energy needs. Just as important, it should prevent floods.
But environmentalists warn that sewage will back up and destroy the precious habitats of river dolphins, giant pandas and other rare animals. Some scientists fear the dam will actually create more floods.
Three Gorges Dam won't be finished until 2009. But it's already affecting the stunning scenery and the 1.2 million people who must flee the area. Says truck driver Liu Zhucan, who had to leave his home: "They know that their homes will be flooded, and they're scared. You have to go, even if you don't want to."