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The Three Gorges (三峡) region is a scenic area along the Yangtze River in China with a total length of approximately 200 km. The Three Gorges occupy approximately 120 km within this region. Although it is primarily famous for its scenery, the Three Gorges region is historically, and culturally an important region in China.
The Three Gorges region is located along the Yangtze River between the cities of Fengjie (奉节) and Yichang in Chongqing municipality and Hubei province.
Currently the Three Gorges region is most famous for the Three Gorges Dam. The Three Gorges Dam is under construction at a place called Sandouping (三斗坪) in the middle of the Xiling Gorge. The dam is not yet complete, but the construction has already cut off the flow of the river, and therefore the water level in the Qutang, Wuxia, and the western portion of the Xiling Gorges has already begun to rise. In addition to the impacts of the dam on the ecology and people (i.e. the mass relocation of towns and villages) of the region, the dam will also change the scenery of the Three Gorges. Because the water level will be higher, the gorges will be less narrow and the mountains will appear lower. Proponents of the dam point out that because the mountains reach several thousand feet above the river, the gorges are still likely to offer spectacular views of the surrounding cliffs, and it should be noted that most riverboat companies that operate in the Three Gorges intend to continue to offer tours of the region. The increase in width of the Gorges will also allow larger ships through the gorges and it is anticipated that river traffic of all kinds will increase.
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