After the end of World War I in 1918, Sun Yat-sen hoped to promote the development of China's industry by leveraging the industrial society and science and technology of the West during the war. He wrote articles on the subject and founded the magazine Construction, which first put forward the initial idea of the Three Gorges Project.
On August 17, 1924, in his speech, he once again emphasized the importance and benefits of the construction of the Three Gorges Project. This is the earliest plan and concept for the construction of the Three Gorges Project.
In 1930, the National Government planned to build a hydropower plant in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and began to collect relevant information, but the field investigation work could not be carried out. In 1931 and 1935, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were hit by two major floods, which were devastating.
Although in 1932 a hydroelectric power survey team in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River was organized and a detailed report and plan was put forward, for various reasons, the people did not take action.
As a result, the floods of 1935 brought huge losses to the people in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Towards the end of the Sino-Japanese War, in order to monopolize China's economic interests, Nelson arrived in Chongqing and proposed the idea of establishing a Chinese wartime production bureau, which was supported by Chiang Kai-shek.
In April 1944, the Kuomintang received a report submitted by Pan Sui, an American expert from the China Wartime Production Bureau, entitled "Using US Loans to Build China's Hydroelectric Power Plants and Methods for Repaying Loans".
In the report, Pan Sui suggested that the United States provide a $900 million loan and related equipment to build a fertilizer plant in the Three Gorges with an installed capacity of 10 million kilowatts and an annual output of 5 million tons of fertilizer, which will be exported to the United States to repay the loan.
This report immediately attracted the attention of both China and the United States. Next, American dam expert Savage traveled to China to conduct a field trip to the Three Gorges in Chongqing. At the end of the inspection, Savage submitted the "Preliminary Report on the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River" that shocked the world.
In 1945, the Savage report was adopted. Subsequently, the relevant preparatory work began to be carried out, and the relevant departments formed a technical research committee to start specific research work.
In 1946, the staff began to enter the Three Gorges to conduct topographic exploration and economic surveys. At the same time, according to the content of the agreement, 46 Chinese engineers and technicians will go to the United States to participate in the design work, and at the same time, exploration and surveying work are also underway.
The Savage Report has strongly promoted the joint design of the Three Gorges Project between China and the United States and the establishment of the Three Gorges Project. However, with the outbreak of the civil war after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the design work was interrupted, the designers who went to the United States returned to China, and the Three Gorges Project project was officially suspended.
In 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Communist Party began to make active preparations. ** Clearly stated that the Three Gorges Project will continue in the future to solve the flood disaster in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
* Lin Yishan was appointed Minister of Water Resources of Central South China and Director of the Yangtze River Water Conservancy Commission, and the construction of the Three Gorges Project was officially restarted in New China. Since Sun Yat-sen put forward the idea of building a dam on the Three Gorges, after surveying, planning and waiting, to the formal implementation in the 90s of the 20th century, the Three Gorges Project has experienced 75 years of ups and downs.
In the construction of the Three Gorges Project, we have always actively supported it. On February 16, 1953, ** inspected both sides of the Han River in Wuhan and listened to Lin Yishan's detailed report on the basic situation of the Yangtze River, the causes of floods, and the idea of eliminating harm and benefiting the people.
Regarding the many reservoirs and the Three Gorges Gorge marked on the draft plan for the comprehensive utilization of water resources in the Yangtze River Basin, ** asked: "Can so many reservoirs compare to the Three Gorges?" ”
Lin Yishan replied: "It can't be compared with the Three Gorges Reservoir." * further proposed: "Why not take action at the most important Three Gorges Mouth to solve the flood control problem of the Yangtze River once and for all?" ”
Considering that New China had just been founded and that there was insufficient financial, material, and scientific and technological strength, Lin Yishan advocated that the flood control problem of the Yangtze River should be solved step by step and according to priority, and that such a major project as the Three Gorges could only be regarded as a long-term construction goal in the later stage.
However, as early as 1952, the Jingjiang River Flood Diversion Project was launched, and after the efforts of 300,000 soldiers and civilians, the project was completed in 1953.
Faced with the severe losses caused by the flood disaster of the Yangtze River in 1954, ** recognized the importance of the Three Gorges Project and began to carry out a technical feasibility study. However, due to the limited financial and material resources of the state at that time, the Three Gorges Project could not be included in the "First Five-Year Plan".
** Expressed regret for this, and instructed the youngest cadre, Deng Liqun, to write a memorial after the Three Gorges Dam was completed. After years of surveying, designing, and demonstrating, in 1958, at the Chengdu Conference of the Communist Party of China, it was proposed that the Three Gorges issue be resolved immediately.
After reading the report, he wrote on the front page: "Considering the country's long-term economic development and technical conditions, the Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project needs to be built and may be built. ”
After the meeting, ** was ready to return to Beijing, but he refused to take a plane or a special train, but decided to take a boat to walk the Yangtze River and see the Three Gorges for himself. In the early morning of March 29, a group of people took the "Jiangxia" ship from Chongqing, and the ship docked at Wanxian Port in the afternoon.
At this time, a local cadre was introduced to *** to the guide to *** and introduced the cadre to *** and said: "Chairman, this is the secretary of the Wanxian County Party Committee. The visitor excitedly shook the hand of *** and greeted with a trembling voice.
** smiled and asked, "What's your last name?" "Yan, it's called Hermes-Epitek. "Is the 'Yan' of 'Bian Hu Yan Ji' in "Hundred Family Names"? "Yes. "You're not a minority, you're a Han-mes-Epitek?" ”
It's a real Hermes-Epitek. "Then do you know why your surname is 'Yan'? "I don't know. Yan Hanmin scratched his head and replied honestly. Then, ** smiled and told him about the surname "Yan".
After finishing speaking, ** said again: "Our ship is going to pass through the Three Gorges, and you are the leader here, so please be a guide for everyone, okay?" "Chairman, you are knowledgeable and profound, and you are more familiar with the five lakes and seas of the motherland and everything in the Three Gorges than I am. ”
No, no, no, you have the final say in the Three Gorges, and we are at the mercy of you, the 'Three Gorges Official.'" ”
Yan Hanmin, who accompanied *** through the Three Gorges together, heard him say to the crew who drove the boat: "If I learn to drive, I must learn to drive this waterway." ”
This was a reminder to the crew. Then, ** proposed the construction of the Three Gorges Project: "Some waterways are still not good, if a large sluice is built in the Three Gorges, it can generate electricity and facilitate shipping, flood control and irrigation, what do you think?" ”
The crew members excitedly said: "If the Three Gorges sluice gates are built, navigation will become more convenient." Then, ** asked Yan Hanmin if it was good to build the Three Gorges Project.
Yan Hanmin said: "Although it is good, it will flood a lot of land. * joked, "Even if the land is flooded, it's okay to eat less food and more fish." ”
But Yan reminded him: "After a lot of land is submerged, how to resettle the migrants is also a big problem." This made *** fall into deep thought, and he said solemnly: "This is a big problem.
Allowing nearly a million people to move out of their homes is a great sacrifice for nation-building. Proper arrangements must be made for the production and life of immigrants and the education of their children. On the 31st, ** ended his trip to the Three Gorges and met with the local person in charge.
Since the beginning of reform and opening up, China's rapid economic development has laid a solid foundation for the construction of the Three Gorges Project. Always keep an eye on this. In mid-July 1980, he personally went to the Three Gorges area for on-the-spot investigation and listened to a report on the Three Gorges Project.
In November 1982, ** gave a clear instruction: "Once confirmed, act without hesitation." On April 3, 1992, at the Fifth Session of the Seventh National People's Congress, a key project was voted on for the first time, and it was finally successfully passed.
At this point, the time is finally ripe for the Three Gorges Project to officially start construction.
From the official start of construction on December 14, 1994 to the completion of the whole line on May 20, 2006, this is a great project that took 11 years.