Gezhouba Dam
葛洲坝水利枢纽
The first large hydropower station on the Yangtze, at the exit of the Xiling Gorge on Yichang's outskirts. Take the “Two Dams and One Gorge” cruise to experience the ship lock, or watch ships pass through it from the dam park.
The Gezhouba Water Control Project lies about 2 km downstream of Nanjinguan, at the exit of the Xiling Gorge on the northwest side of Yichang's urban area. Construction began in 1970 and was completed in 1988. It was the first large hydraulic project on the Yangtze's main stream, measuring 2,606 m long and 47 m high, with three ship locks, two power stations and a spillway with 27 gates. It is 38 km from the Three Gorges Dam and plays a regulating role. The river section between the two dams is the route for the “Two Dams and One Gorge” cruises. The most memorable experience for visitors is passing through the Gezhouba ship lock: once the ship enters the chamber, the gates close and the water level rises or falls by more than 20 m, a process lasting about 30–40 minutes. Day cruises and some Yangtze cruise ships pass through. On land you can visit Gezhouba Park, the area near Sanjiang Bridge, or the riverside walk to see the full dam and ships passing through the lock; the riverside promenade from the city park to below the dam is also free. The dam exhibition hall requires advance booking. Getting there: from Yichang East Station, take a bus or taxi for about 30 minutes. From the Jiefang Road pedestrian street, walk along the riverbank to reach the view below the dam. Notes: the dam itself is not open for climbing. To photograph flood discharge, come during the summer flood season. In the evening, the Yichang Yangtze night cruise (departing from Jiumatou Pier, about 1.5 hours, about 100 yuan) turns back near Gezhouba, where you can see lights on both banks.
Opening hours
Dam park and riverside promenade open all day; lock-passing cruises usually depart by day
Nearby sights
- Nanjinguan (Xiling Gorge Mouth)
- Sanyou Cave (Three Travellers Cave)
- Yichang Riverside Park & Yangtze Night Cruise
- Mojishan Park
- Tianran Pagoda
- Yichang Museum
- Shipai Anti-Japanese War Memorial
- Three Gorges Tribe (Sanxia Renjia)