Upon invitation of the China Three Gorges Corporation, the Division of Civil, Hydraulic and Architecture Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) organized a survey and study tour for the Three Gorges Project (TGP). The event saw the participation of a total of 36 CAE Members from different Academic Divisions, including Zhou Ji, President of CAE, Xie Kechang, Vice President of CAE, Zhu Gaofeng, former Executive Vice President of CAE, as well as Lu Youmei, Lei Zhidong, Zou Deci, Cao Chusheng, Chen Houqun, Zhou Ganzhi, Wang Mengshu, Zheng Shouren, Zhang Chaoran, Ge Xiurun, Zhang Yongchuan, Kang Shaozhong, among others, who reached into the Three Gorges Complex as well as the Reservoir Area for field studies. Cao Guangjing, Chairman of the China Three Gorges Corporation, attended a relevant seminar, while Lin Chuxue, Deputy General Manager of the Corporation, accompanied the CAE members throughout the whole tour. 

CAE Members conducted field trips to the Reservoir Area by boat from October 28 to 30. They visited the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum and listened to briefings on protection for cultural relics like the White Crane Ridge. They also conducted field studies at the New Beach and Lianzi Cliff for prevention and control of landslide bodies, carrying out in-depth discussions as to issues such as TGP environmental protection, complex operation, earthquake and other geological disaster prevention and treatment as well as sediment problems on the tour. The team also visited the TGP Exhibition Center, inspecting the operation of the TGP Dam, ship lock (navigation lock) as well as power generation operation on October 31. On the morning of November 1, part of the research team paid visit to the Gezhouba Hydropower Complex.

The Seminar on TGP Survey and Study Tour by CAE was held on October 30 at the Three Gorges Dam Area. During the seminar, Cao Guangjing, Chairman of the China Three Gorges Corporation, briefed the team on the construction, operation and management of the Three Gorges Project. Niu Xinqiang, Chairman of the Changjiang Institute of Survey, Planning, Design and Research of the Changjiang Water Resources Commission, gave a briefing on the design work for the project. CAE Member Lu Youmei briefed on relevant information regarding evaluation of TGP for the initial stages carried out by CAE. Others who also delivered speeches at the seminar included CAE President Zhou Ji and other CAE Members Lu Yaoru, Wang Hao, Cao Chusheng and Cui Junzhi.

Zhou Ji pointed out in his speech that, this survey and study tour conducted by CAE for the Three Gorges Project could be regarded as an important activity to implement the essence of the National Science and Technology Innovation Conference. Zhou said that TGP is currently the biggest hydropower-complex project in the world, also an innovative project representing the most advanced technologies. The China Three Gorges Corporation had established a technological innovation system, taking the enterprise as the main body, staying market-oriented and valuing integration among enterprises, universities and research institutes. Therefore, it had made a number of significant technological breakthroughs and obtained a series of core technologies and products enjoying independent intellectual property through the process of introduction, digestion, absorption of imported technologies, and then re-innovation, thus having successfully promoted and upgraded the development of China’s hydropower equipment manufacturing industry. Zhou hoped that the CAE and the China Three Gorges Corporation should strengthen collaboration in the future. Zhou also promised that CAE would try its best to provide scientific and technological support for the China Three Gorges Corporation by giving full play to its technology and talent advantages, making joint efforts to make TGP a model project for “Digital Three Gorges” as well as its ecological development.

Cao Guangjing reported in great depth on the construction and operation of TGP that the Three Gorges Reservoir had already achieved the experimental goal of 175-meter water storage for three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012. At present, the Three Gorges Project had been playing its multiple roles in flood and drought prevention and relief, shipping, power generation as well as ecological protection in a comprehensive manner. Cao also said that, currently, TGP had entered a new phase with its focus shifted to operation and management. Therefore, it was the primary task and major priority to operate and manage the Three Gorges Project in a sound manner so that comprehensive benefits of the project could be substantially realized. Cao promised that the China Three Gorges Corporation would firmly bear in mind their great mission and responsibility, adhere to the Scientific Outlook on Development, thus making TGP benefit people in the long run through scientific management and elaborative operation. 

During the survey and study tour, the Fourth Enlarged Meeting for the Standing Committee of the Civil, Hydraulic and Architecture Division was held on the afternoon of October 29th, with CAE Member Lei Zhidong, Director of the Division, serving as the Chairperson. CAE President Zhou Ji attended the meeting. (By Zhao Qian, Yang Xiaohong and Tang Haiying, November 2012; translated by Liu Chang)