175 meters is the height above water level, the Three Gorges Dam reservoir reached once operational. In the process, 1.4 million people had to move has dozens of villages and cities were flooded. This photo essay takes us upstream from the dam, before the gates were to shut down, the river waters starting to rise.

The inhabitants of Dachang, an historic village, are enjoying their last summer by the Danning river a subsidiary of the Yangtze. In the summer of 2006 the village was flooded, and the inhabitants moved away from the river to a new city.
The inhabitants of Dachang during their last summer before the water rose.
The inhabitants of Dachang, an historic village, are enjoying their last summer by the Danning river a subsidiary of the Yangtze. In the summer of 2006 the village was flooded, and the inhabitants moved away from the river to a new city.
Dachang, a city of over 1700 years of history a few months before its destruction ahead of the flooding. The centuries old houses, typical of Ming rural architecture are already empty of their inhabitants who have relocated further up.
Workers consolidating the banks of the Yangtze ahead of the waters rise.
The water flows out of the turbines of the three gorges dam on the Yangtze river.
Inhabitants of Gaoyang walking by the razed buildings of the old city. Positionned by a subsidiary of the Yangtze, the city got flooded in the summer of 2006.
The old city of Fenghdu is being torn down ahead of the flooding when the river level will rise to 165 meters.
The old city of Fenghdu is being torn down ahead of the flooding when the river level will rise to 175 meters.
A worker is taklng a break, while others are tearing down houses. The lower part of Wushan is levelled off as the Yangtze level is going to rise further in the the summer 2006. Dozens of thousands people living in this area have been forced to move
Workers consolidating the bank of the Yangtze, before the water level rises.
Workers picking up bricks from the ruins of residential buildings in Fengdu old city. The old city of Fengdu will be razed down before the 3 gorges reservoire rises.
The old city of Fenghdu is being torn down ahead of the flooding when the river level will rise to 175 meters.
A passer-by in the empty streets of Gaoyang. Positionned by a subsidiary of the Yangtze, the old city will be flooded in the summer of 2006. The new city has been rebuilt 30 kilometers away, but economic activity has yet to follow. So far mainly ci
Residents of Wanzhou are stunned by the transformation of their environment as entire areas of their city is being levelled off to prepare for the reservoire rise.
 shoot the balloon stand by the Yangtze river. Chongqing is the upstream gate to te reservoir created by the three gorges dam. It is also one of the fastest growing city in China. In spite of its growth it is crippled by unempolyment due to th
Inhabitants of Fengdu are loading their belongings onto a truck as they are moving out ofe the city. Over 1 million people have to resetlle as a result of the dam construction. Many have lost job in the prcess.
Passengers on a boat to heading to Chongqing. Over 1 million people have left their hometown along the river as their area is to be flooded by the rising water level. They sometimes had to relocate thousand miles away.
A barge in the mist on the Yangtze.
A group of Chinese tourists are looking at a model of the three gorges dam. In spite of the controversy surrounding it the dam has become a tourist sight and an object of pride for many Chinese.
A tourist posing for a picture in front of the Three Gorges Dam. The dam has become a tourist attraction and an object of National pride, in spite of the controversy surrounding its construction.
In the streets of Wanzhou a sign points to the level to be reached by the Yangtze reservoir once the dam is completed in 2009.
A man staring at Chongqing skyline from the cable car station. Chongqing is the upstream gate to te reservoir created by the three gorges dam. It is also one of the fastest growing city in China. In spite of its growth it is crippled by unempolymen
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