China possesses the beauty and wonder that gives her people reason to take pride in their land. The Great Wall of China stands majestically as the only manmade structure visible from the moon. It is no wonder that it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Historical sites such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace have become major tourist attractions. In the heart of the capital lies Tiananmen Square, another tourist area as well as a significant political site. When an individual visits China, he or she must witness these places in Beijing to experience the magnificence of China. However, this experience is incomplete without taking a tour down the mighty Chang Jiang River. As someone once said, "No trip to China would be complete without walking along the Great Wall, visiting the terra-cotta warriors and sightseeing in the Three Gorges."

The Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River exists as the longest river in China and the third longest river in the world. Hence, it is called the "Chang Jiang," which literally means "Long River" in the Chinese language. The Nile and the Amazon are the only two rivers longer than the Chang Jiang. The Chang Jiang runs across most of the country, making a natural division between the north and south. Though the Chang Jiang River divides the land physically, it has served to unify the people of China and continues to do so in spite of hardships. Although dividing opinions and debates have formed concerning the river, the significance of the Chang Jiang is in its unifying effect. One can observe such a phenomenon while examining various issues dealing with the river’s Three Gorges and its summer floods of 1998.

Serving as China’s central highway of transportation, the Chang Jiang is one of the world’s busiest rivers. It transports people and cargo to and from the cities along its course. Supplies like cement and coal are taken by barges to these cities. Ferries deliver people, goods, and agricultural products to factories, villages and farms. The Chang Jiang basin occupies about twenty percent of the country’s total land area, twenty five percent of the farmland, and thirty three percent of the population. Shanghai, Chongqing, Yichang, Shashi, Wuhan, Huangshi, Jiujiang, Anqing, Wuhu, Ma’anshan, Nanjing, Zhenjiang, and Nantong serve as excellent river ports in this rich area. Almost half of China’s agricultural output and seventy percent of the rice crop are grown here.

The Chang Jiang River flows generally north and eastward for 6,300 km. It flows down from the snow-covered Mount Gelandandong to the East China Sea just north of Shanghai. While it flows down through mountains and valleys, it collects water from more than 3,600 tributaries and becomes a huge water system that empties itself into the sea. Its brownish hue comes from the mountains of silt and sand that wash downriver. As the country’s main inland waterway, it is known as "China’s main street." Until the beginning of the 20th century, the only path into the middle of China was through the Chang Jiang.

Much activity goes on along the Chang Jiang River. Though it divides the land, a way it unifies the people is through the means of waterway transportation. The river eases the transporting of goods and products to each other, giving them a more efficient way of marketing and doing business. The Chang Jiang also brings people together as they travel to places and visit each other. Being a vast land, China needs this "main street" to allow such interactions through transportation.

As the Chang Jiang makes its way from Sichuan to the Hubei Province, it cuts through three magnificent canyons: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. These canyons are known as the famous Three Gorges. Making a trip down these Three Gorges gives one "an opportunity to experience the very heart of China and to see its most scenic and historic sites."

The Qutang Gorge, the first and the shortest of the three, begins at Fengjie City and ends at Wushang Mountain in the Sichuan Province. This narrow gorge is approximately 8 km long and its traffic is dangerous when the water is low in winter. It is the most magnificent gorge as travellers can stand in awe at the wonders along the banks. The famous Kuimen Gate of the Three Gorges is located at the entrance to the Qutang Gorge. The waters converging at this entrance causes the roaring waves at the Kuimen Gate.

The Wu Gorge begins at Wushang Mountain and ends at Guandukou in Hubei. It’s narrow course winds 42 km and has towering rocks and cliffs on the sides. The famous Twelve Peaks of Wushang Mountain are located along the Wu Gorge.

Finally, the Xiling Gorge stretches 74 km from Guandukou to Yichang City in Hubei. It is the longest gorge of the three and has the most minor gorges. Its rapid currents promises good potential for generation of electricity. The world-known Three Gorges Dam Project is located in the middle of the Xiling Gorge.

With such marvelous scenery and historical sites, the Three Gorges have existed as a major tourist attraction both for foreigners and for the Chinese. As the Three Gorges Dam is now under construction, people have seized the last opportunities to experience the Three Gorges before parts of them become submerged under water.

In the summer of 1997, I had the opportunity to go to the city of Shashi in Hubei to teach English to the students there. During the first weekend, all the teachers and students got to go on a four-day boat trip on the Chang Jiang through the Three Gorges. We stayed on the boat overnight and spent the night at a hotel a couple of times. I had never heard of the Three Gorges until the students and school officials told me about this trip. They informed me that this was the last time we could experience this Three Gorges trip because of this dam they were building. They even pointed me to the construction of the dam on the Chang Jiang. When we went through the Three Gorges, they pointed out all the sites and explained to me their significance. However, I forgot most of what they told me either because there were too many or because I was struck by the scenery. I do remember being in awe of the beauty that surrounded me and thinking, "The Three Gorges are gorgeous!" I am so thankful that I got a chance to experience the Three Gorges before it is too late. I can proudly say that my sightseeing in the Three Gorges has made my trip to China complete.

Worldwide attention has been given to the Three Gorges Dam Project as it undergoes construction. This project is the largest undertaking by the Chinese since the construction of the Great Wall. Considered to be the "New Great Wall," it will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. It will stretch almost a mile across and tower 575 feet above the Chang Jiang River. The dam will generate thousands of electricity and create a reservoir spanning 410 miles.

The Three Gorges Dam Project has three main goals: flood control, power generation, and transportation. The Chang Jiang constantly floods and affect many lives. The reservoir would store 22.15 billion cubic meters and can effectively reduce the flooding. As China needs more electric power, the Three Gorges power plant can produce enough electricity to replace millions of tons of coal per year. It will be capable of producing one ninth of China’s power, more electricity than any other hydropower station in the world. More electricity would be transmitted to Pudong and to inland areas where more electricity is needed. Lastly, raising the water level would make navigation safer as larger ships will be allowed to go farther into China’s interior. The efficiency in shipping will be increased and the transport cost will be reduced.

The Dam Project has three phases and is scheduled to be finished in 2009. Already, it has completed the first phase of successfully damming the river on November 8th, 1997. The water level in this phase went from 65 m to 75 m. During the second phase, the water level will rise to 135 m in 2003 as the main dam is built. In the final phase, the project will be completed and the operation of power plants will begin. The water level will rise to 156 m in 2006 and to 175 m between 2009 and 2012. At this final phase, many cities and places of interest along the Three Gorges will be submerged. Among them are Zigui, Badong, the Qutang Plank Pathway, the Zhang Fei Temple at Yunyang, and the Stone Fish at Fuiling. Other places such as Wushan Mountain and Fengjie will be partially flooded.

This project has allowed the people of China to work together towards this goal of constructing the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. They are working hard to better the situation for the people in terms of controlling the floods, generating more energy, and improving the transportation. However, the views on the Three Gorges Dam Project are not merely one-sided. Much controversy and debate have formed concerning the project.

Those that oppose the project draw up various reasons against the building of the dam. They argue that the process will flood 62,000 acres of farmland along with many cities and villages, forcing the resettlement of at least 1.2 million people. Many cultural relics and historical sites will be submerged. The lives of the fishes and animals may be threatened. A series of smaller dams built on the river’s tributaries would be better for the environment and the local people. Such are some of the many arguments made by those who oppose the building of the dam. To these opponents, the project serves as "a symbol of mankind’s monstrous interventions in nature, an enterprise that will not only displace people but also devastate wildlife and alter the landscape forever."

Within the numerous people are being relocated, there have been mixed feelings about the Dam Project and the resettlement. Though each person will be receiving a compensation for their resettlement (30,000 yuan for urban dwellers and 20,000 yuan for farmers), many people do not want to move and feel obligated to do so. In Zigui, the first county to be relocated, Li Jiaying watches some workers pull down the house of his family for 100 years. He says, "I don’t feel happy about it but we must obey the government." Protests and imprisonment have occurred due to this situation. Dai Qing, an award winning writer, campaigns against the dam and speaks her mind on the issue. Her book against the dam, Yangtze! Yangtze!, led to her 10-month imprisonment. In dealing with those who do not want to move, propaganda work attempts to convince them that it is in their interest to resettle. If they continue to refuse, they will be forced

to move because the reservoir water will eventually rise. However, some people do not oppose the resettlement and may even be happy with it. In her article "Damming the Yangtze," Jean Ash states that most of the people she talked to are satisfied or at least willing to accept their fate. She goes on to quote the testimonies of a few individuals being resettled. Lin Xinlin, a peasant, feels fine about moving. He states that though his family is bored from the lack of work, their housing is better and more comfortable. Another woman comments that without that Three Gorges Project, her family would still be peasants.

Like with any other huge undertaking, there will always be people who oppose the Three Gorges Dam Project. Nevertheless, China must do what is best for her people. China sees the project as a key to the modernization of the country and as a symbol of its planning and engineering strength. Thus, the Three Gorges Dam Project will go on.

Though the Three Gorges Dam Project has led to dividing opinions, the summer floods of 1998 have demonstrated the unifying effect of the Chang Jiang River. These floods hit the Chang Jiang basin between June and August 1998, affecting the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui. These were the most serious floods since those of 1954, killing more than 3,000 people and causing at least $20 billion in damages. When winter arrived, 14 million people remained homeless. The people could not do much but watch their homes submerge in the water. The floodwaters spilled over the dikes and swallowed up whole villages. However, the disaster could have been much worse. The floods of 1954 killed ten times as many people. In 1998, the government and aid organizations acted quickly to help the people. They stopped the spread of pathogens and educated people about preventive measures.

The Chang Jiang flood led the people of China to unify in fighting the floods and helping the victims. This disaster has brought the Chinese people closer to each other than ever. People all over China have given assistance to flood-stricken areas and the government has done much to help resettle the victims. President Jiang Zemin decided to put off his visit to Russia and Japan because of the flooding. After inspecting the situation, he expressed sympathy for victims and encouraged the people as they fight the floods. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) took action in helping the victims of the floods. They evacuated and rescued almost 4.2 million civilians. In addition, they repaired dikes, plugged breaches, and moved out goods. This was the largest mobilization of the PLA since the founding of New China in 1949. Many other courageous civilians and soldiers came together and sacrificed their lives in fighting the floods. Government departments, provinces, enterprises, and many individuals, young and old, contributed great support to the flood control effort. A benefit performance raised about 1.1 billion yuan for the victims and hot lines raised 403 million yuan. The province of Liaoning gave the largest donation of 91 million yuan despite its own economic problems. The people of Hong Kong also helped raise HK$180 million. Even other countries expressed their regards to the victims and donated a large sum of money. Great amounts of relief funds, food, clothing, and temporary shelter have reached the people in the flood areas. The people in China were able to unify as they helped the lives affected by the floods.

My students in Shashi have written to me about the floods in their letters. They all look at the situation positively and praise the soldiers for what they have done. The following is what some of the students wrote:

The students all wrote to me about the Chang Jiang without my inquiring about the floods, thus showing their concern for the country. They are optimistic about the situation and do not hesitate to give honor to the soldiers. Linda, a student in Shashi, tells me about the soldiers in more detail:

This past summer, during the time of the floods, I had the opportunity to go to Shenzhen in Guangdong for the same teaching program. My students there also wrote to me about the floods and their concerns. They even contributed to the victims of the floods by donating clothing or the money they raised. Here are what two of my students in Shenzhen wrote about the flood situation:

"Do you know the Chinese people who live along the Chang Jiang River have been suffering the floods for nearly two months? I hope your friends in Shashi are not in danger as the flood situation there is really bad right now. Recently I have been touched by so many people who are trying their best to help-- especially the soldiers and civilians who are fighting at the waterfront along the flooded rivers day and night. They have really put the safety of others above their own. Some of them even lost their lives. People from all over China are taking an active part in donating money and materials to the heavily flooded areas. I donated some of my unfit clothes and some money too. It’s so worrying that the situation has not gotten better so far, but I believe we will bring final victory over the flooding with the help of so many people." -Shirley (8/22)

Even the students in Guangdong took part in helping the lives of the flood victims, admiring the soldiers who fight against the flood. Though they are farther from the floods than those in Shashi, they express the same concern and hope. It is both ironic and amazing that such a disaster can bring people together.

The Chang Jiang River exists as a beauty and wonder that gives the Chinese reason to be proud of their land. With its waterway transportation and the Three Gorges, it has a lot to offer the people and even the tourists. Though the river divides the land physically and debates about the Dam Project arise, the significance of the Chang Jiang is in its unifying effect. The summer floods of 1998 allowed the people all over the country to unify as they expressed their concern and helped those in need. The people of China have a sense of hope as they fight together for the victory over the floods. Being such a vast land with so many people, China needs this unifying power and hope that can be discovered in the mighty Chang Jiang River.

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