Three Gorges Reservoir Region
Encyclopedia
Three Gorges Reservoir Region, including 25 county-level divisions of Chongqing
municipality and Hubei
province, is the region directly or indirectly involved in the submersion of the water storage of the reservoir region of the Three Gorges Project.
at the boundary of Chongqing
municipality and Hubei
province with the area of 59900 km² and with the population of 16 million. The Three Gorges Reservoir Region stretches along the Yangtze River
from Jiangjin District
of Chongqing
to Yichang
City of Hubei
, which is very narrow and where the geography is complex. The mountainous areas represent 74% of the region only with 4.3% plain area in the river valley and 21.7% hilly area. The climate of the reservoir region of the Three Gorges Project is the subtropical monsoon
climate. Its location is in the transfer between the southern temperate zone and the subtropical zone, where it is hot and it rains a lot with the annual rainfall of about 1100 mm. The valley of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region below 500 m has an annual temperature 17oC~19oC and, with the frost-free period annually lasts 300~340 days. The annual runoff flow at the site of the dam of the Three Gorges Project is 451 billion m³ with the annual sediment discharge of 530 million tons.
flows through the Three Gorges Reservoir Region with the good conditions for water transportation and the water-resources development. The potential installed capacity of hydropower
can be about 30,000 MW in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region where the water resources are the most abundant for the whole main stream of the Yangtze River
. Since the conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region for the development of the water resources are good with a short distance to the load center, it is probable to largely develop the water resources. The agricultural resources of the Three Gorges Region are abundant, which are superior for the agriculture, forestry, livestock, sideline production and fishery. The Three Gorges Reservoir Region is proper for the growth of the various plants of both the warm temperate zone and the temperate zone. Dozens of ore
s have been explored and investigated in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, such as gold
, silver
, copper
, iron
, uranium
, sulfur
, potassium
, natural gas
and halite
. The natural sights along the Yangtze River
in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region are superb, particularly those along 162 km main river between Sandouping
of Yichang
and Baidicheng Town of Fengjie, which are the famous sights of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and one of the tourist plances of interest all over the world. In addition, there are a lot of cultural and historical sites, such as the Qu Yuan
Temple
of Zigui
, the Zhaojun
Home Village of Xingshan
, the Shibao Stockade of Zhong County
and the ghost town
of Fengdu.
. The region is significant for both the promotion to the economic growth of the areas along the Yangtze River and the economic exchanges between the east of China and the west of China. The region is now and will be more and more superior for the economic progress of China with the gradual opening up to the world and the gradual economic promotion from the coastal areas to the river regions and the inland areas, especially with the construction of the Three Gorges Project. Furthermore, the Three Gorges Region is now and will be more and more significant for the economic progress of China.
The Three Gorges Region has made its economic aims as follows.
During the second phase of reservoir water storage, 25 county-level divisions were involved in the submersion of the reservoir water storage. But from 1992 up to 2002, they had changed a lot as follows.
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
municipality and Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province, is the region directly or indirectly involved in the submersion of the water storage of the reservoir region of the Three Gorges Project.
Geographical condition
The Three Gorges Reservoir Region is located in the upstream of the Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
at the boundary of Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
municipality and Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province with the area of 59900 km² and with the population of 16 million. The Three Gorges Reservoir Region stretches along the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
from Jiangjin District
Jiangjin District
Jiangjin is one of districts of Southwest Chongqing, China, located by the upper reaches of Yangtze River, with a history of 1500 years. The district covers 3200 square kilometres with a population of 1,460,000...
of Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
to Yichang
Yichang
Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province after the province capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.-History:In ancient times Yichang...
City of Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, which is very narrow and where the geography is complex. The mountainous areas represent 74% of the region only with 4.3% plain area in the river valley and 21.7% hilly area. The climate of the reservoir region of the Three Gorges Project is the subtropical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
climate. Its location is in the transfer between the southern temperate zone and the subtropical zone, where it is hot and it rains a lot with the annual rainfall of about 1100 mm. The valley of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region below 500 m has an annual temperature 17oC~19oC and, with the frost-free period annually lasts 300~340 days. The annual runoff flow at the site of the dam of the Three Gorges Project is 451 billion m³ with the annual sediment discharge of 530 million tons.
Natural and ecological resources
The Three Gorges abounds in the water resources, the ecological resources, the tourism resources and the resources of some ores, which has a great potential for exploration. The Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
flows through the Three Gorges Reservoir Region with the good conditions for water transportation and the water-resources development. The potential installed capacity of hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
can be about 30,000 MW in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region where the water resources are the most abundant for the whole main stream of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. Since the conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region for the development of the water resources are good with a short distance to the load center, it is probable to largely develop the water resources. The agricultural resources of the Three Gorges Region are abundant, which are superior for the agriculture, forestry, livestock, sideline production and fishery. The Three Gorges Reservoir Region is proper for the growth of the various plants of both the warm temperate zone and the temperate zone. Dozens of ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s have been explored and investigated in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, such as gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
, sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
, potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and halite
Halite
Halite , commonly known as rock salt, is the mineral form of sodium chloride . Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on the amount and type of impurities...
. The natural sights along the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region are superb, particularly those along 162 km main river between Sandouping
Sandouping
Sandouping is a town in Yiling District of Yichang prefecture-level city in the Chinese province of Hubei. It is located on the right bank of the Yangtze River, next to Yiling District's border with Zigui County to the west...
of Yichang
Yichang
Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province after the province capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.-History:In ancient times Yichang...
and Baidicheng Town of Fengjie, which are the famous sights of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and one of the tourist plances of interest all over the world. In addition, there are a lot of cultural and historical sites, such as the Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan was a Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States Period in ancient China. He is famous for his contributions to the poetry collection known as the Chu-ci...
Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
of Zigui
Zigui
Zigui County is a county in Yichang, in the central China province of Hubei. It encompasses the easternmost portion of the Yangtze River Gorges, including the Xiling Gorge ....
, the Zhaojun
Wang Zhaojun
Wang Qiang , more commonly known by her style name Wang Zhaojun was the consort of the Xiongnu chanyu Huhanye...
Home Village of Xingshan
Xingshan
Xingshan may refer to the following locations in China:*Xingshan County , of Yichang, Hubei*Xingshan District , Hegang, Heilongjiang*Xingshan, Majiang County , town in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou...
, the Shibao Stockade of Zhong County
Zhong County
Zhong County , formerly named Linjiang is a county of Chongqing Municipality in China.The Shibaozhai Temple, which is endangered by the rising waters caused by the Three Gorges Dam, is located there.-External links:*...
and the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Fengdu.
Economy
The Three Gorges Reservoir Region is an important part of the economic zone along the Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. The region is significant for both the promotion to the economic growth of the areas along the Yangtze River and the economic exchanges between the east of China and the west of China. The region is now and will be more and more superior for the economic progress of China with the gradual opening up to the world and the gradual economic promotion from the coastal areas to the river regions and the inland areas, especially with the construction of the Three Gorges Project. Furthermore, the Three Gorges Region is now and will be more and more significant for the economic progress of China.
The Three Gorges Region has made its economic aims as follows.
- To gradually build up the largest hydropowerHydropowerHydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
base in China; - To form an important industrial region midstream and upstream of the Yangtze River;
- To have its particular places of interest for tourism;
- To realize the preliminary economic prosperity;
- To build up the beautiful environments;
- To have a good resettlement of the local people;
- To make a new reservoir region with both the rapid economic progress and the good settlement of the immigrants.
During the second phase of reservoir water storage, 25 county-level divisions were involved in the submersion of the reservoir water storage. But from 1992 up to 2002, they had changed a lot as follows.
- Their total GDP had increased 4.1 times, that is, from 8.24 billion RMB yuan to 42.19 billion RMB yuan;
- Their annual growth rate is 17.7%;
- Their annual GDP per head had increased from 906 RMB yuan to 4427 RMB yuan;
- The third industry had properly increased;
- The first industry had largely decreased;
- The second industry had largely increased;
- The percentages of the first, the second and the third industries had changed from 41%, 30% and 29% to 21%, 43% and 36%;
- The total industrial output on the basis of the pricing of 1990 had increased at the rate of 15.7% from 5.64 billion RMB yuan to 24.28 billion RMB yuan, and the total regional industrial output of 2002 was 3.3 times that of 1992;
- The regional revenue had increased at the rate of 16.2% from 790 million RMB yuan to 3.54 billion RMB yuan;
- The annual taxes of the local industrial enterprises had increased at the rate of 19.2% from 420 million RMB yuan to 2.43 billion RMB yuan, and the total annual regional taxes of the local industrial enterprises of 2002 was 4.8 times those of 1992;
- The profits of the local industrial enterprises had changed from -114,500 RMB yuan after the counteraction between the profits and the losses to 720 million RMB yuan after the counteraction between the profits and the losses.