Three tourism wharves are to be built on the Yangtze River upstream from the Three Gorges Dam, to cope with the increasing number of tourists visiting the biggest dam in the world, now being built, an official source said.

Construction of the Maoping, Taipingxi and Xiakou wharves on the upriver side of the dam will be kicked off this year, said DaiLili, deputy head of the Yichang Port Administration.

The three wharves will be able to handle about 2.2 million tourists a year, she added.

According to the official, when the Three Gorges Dam begins to store water in 2003, a big lake will be formed on the Yangtze River, producing a new and beautiful sight that will bring more tourists to the area.

Tourists, however, will have to spend three more hours on the trip by water from the Gezhouba Dam to the Three Gorges Dam upstream, because of the new ship lock of the Three Gorges Dam, making the previously short trip a six-hour journey.

But if they disembark at the Yichang port, take a bus to the Three Gorges and board another boat there, they will need only one hour, Dai said.

In another development, the Chinese State Council Sunday issued a decree governing the migration work in the Three Gorges area, which will take effect March 1.

(Eastday.com 02/27/2001)