The Dam

Along the Banks of the Yangtze – Season 1

The Three Gorges Dam has taken the place of the Chinese Wall as China's pride and joy in terms of man-made structures. With a capacity of 15 times the Borssele plant, this dam is the largest hydropower station. It is considered a great victory over nature. But nature as well as mankind have had to sacrifice a lot too. 90 villages and 13 cities disappeared into the water. And Chinese nature organizations worry about the fate of the Chinese river dolphin - or river pig, as the Chinese call this endearing creature. Ruben is given permission to view the interior of this immense dam, and sails the stagnant water on a cruise ship filled with Chinese tourists - while the ship's crew dream of the old days when they were working as fishermen on the wild river.