Walking in the Memorial Park by the Dam
Students and Staff of ECE Division.
During the elevation process out of Changjian River.
me, Sasireika, Hwee Ping and Sebestian
Ships waiting in line to to get to the other side....
The Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam
Look how big this Bulldozer!My height can't even hit the top of the wheel....
Me, with the background of the Dam
This morning, we were to leave for Yichang, Wuhan for a 3D2N trip to the Three Gorges Dam site, to soak in the sights and sounds of the world’s largest dam in the world, which is slated for completion by end 2009. We intended to wake up early, but we woke up late instead. Thankfully, we packed the essential items that we required the night before. Not only that, we need not had to worry about queuing up for breakfast as well at the canteen, which is usually a mad rush, as we bought out breakfast the night before.
We boarded the bus and headed towards Yichang, while having our Breakfast onboard. I finished mine within a couple of minutes, I don’t think one was enough for me, I guess. As the journey towards Yichang would take about 5-6 hours, we decided to take a short nap, as we were up late last night, preparing for the trip.
After 2 hours, we simply couldn’t sleep any longer and we realized that we were on the expressway, headed towards our destination. Looking out of the window, there was large amounts of undeveloped land. There were only huge parcels of land with bright yellow flowers being grown on them. We were told by our guide that they were usually cooked with oil, to make a dish to be eaten along with rice. That sounds quite tasty indeed.
We stopped at a rest house for about roughly 20-30 minutes at around 9.30am. I was surprised to find a LCD Screen TV greeting me when we entered the toilet. It wasn’t something you see every day, especially on a highway stop. Malaysia also has such highways as well, then why are their toilets so different?
As we approached Yichang, there was much more activity in the area as there was much construction in the area on several sites. Not only that, we came across many industrial areas as well as we approached the city area.
Upon reaching Yichang City, we proceeded to have our lunch at Yansha Dajiudian, a restaurant at a nearby hotel. we ate our lunch along with Students from the School of Life Sciences and Chemical Technology (LSCT) from Ngee Ann Polytechnic as well. I didn’t know anyone in particular from that school, so it was hard to communicate with them initially, but after a while, it was alright.
Lunch was certainly a huge spread, as though it was meant for a VIP. A group of eight of us shared a table to have our meal. The four of us, chose Vegetarian and Fish for our meals for the entire duration of the 3D2N trip. We certainly had a wide variety of dishes ranging from vegetables, fish, rice balls, potatoes and many more. I really felt full, after having my meal. I especially liked the green veggies, the fish, and the rice balls. This meal has certainly been my best meal yet, as it provided me with a balanced diet.
Following that, we headed to the check post of the Three Gorges Dam to obtain our tickets for entry as well as the permit for vehicles to pass. This is because the Three Gorges Dam is considered as a national security issue for China. I believe they are strict on one of its most prized assets.
The roads leading to the Three Gorges Dam are very bumpy indeed, especially in the mountainous region. It felt as though we were onboard an aircraft undergoing strong turbulence.
We had to go through a 180m tunnel, followed by a 3km tunnel and a 1km tunnel. They had many escape routes to allow for easier mass evacuation in the event the dam bursts. If the dam blows, there is a high possibility that mass flooding would wipe out almost the entire area surrounding Yichang, which is approximately the size of Singapore.
After a long journey, we finally arrived at the main gate of the Three Gorges Dam Site at around 2.10pm. Upon arrival, we had to undergo screening at the entrance of the facility. Following that, we boarded the tourist bus and headed to the 3 major destinations on the tour.
At our 1st Stop, we headed to the exhibition site, where we told by our guide on how the dam is operated, how electricity is generated, and how the elevator is operated as well. We took some individual photos and group photos as well. The view of the entire area was simply enchanting. There was nothing in the world that would replace such an experience.
At our 2nd Stop, we went to a lower level to gain a better view of the dam, in a much closer view. The guide told us about how the dam was constructed and the consequences that followed due to the methods implemented. I had seriously no idea that the area surrounding the Three Gorges Dam was fortified by the military with SAM (Surface to Air) Missiles. This was the 1st time I had actually heard that a monument had been protected by such defenses. We also bought a set of key chains as souvenirs. As the price was too high, we decided to share and buy a set instead.
At our 3rd and final Stop, we went to the memorial park of the Dam. It was indeed a place of tranquility. I felt pretty much at ease, as there was a lot of greenery and nature in the area. We took some pictures of the dam with the tour guides and the lecturers as well. On the way back, we came across some beautiful flowers and trees as well. Not only that, we came across several enormous construction machinery as well. They were simply huge. The size of the wheel was even higher than my own height. Could you believe that?
We also realized that we had been scammed on the way back, when we realized that the key chains that we bought were overpriced, when they were being sold at half the price instead at that location. It really feels frustrating at time.
On the way back to the restaurant, our tour guide entertained us by singing us songs and telling us riddles to liven to the spirit onboard. Mr. Chua, even sang a song for us as well. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we quickly rushed downed our meals as our cruise was scheduled to leave at 6pm. However, we were having our dinner at 6pm instead. We had to eat as fast as we could and leave the premises.
We didn’t realize that there had been a mix up in one of the dishes at our table. Instead of serving Chicken, we were given Beef. We had only realized it when Sebestian pointed it out to us, whom informed Mr. Chua and Mr. Ma as well as the guides. The owners of the restaurant said that they would look into the matter and promise to not let it happen again.
We boarded the bus again, and headed for the docking terminal. We rushed through the immigration and boarded our vessel, the Silver Moon at 7.30pm, an hour and a half later from departure time. We immediately went to our respective cabins and awaited further instructions. The cabin was pretty small, with a lot of uneven flooring, but it was nice and comfortable. Soon, we were given our keys and tags to indentify which group we are from, we settled in our cabins, while waiting for the vessel to pass through the elevator to bring us out of the Chiangjing River.
We passed by several bridges which includes the Xilu Bridge and the Badong Bridge. 30 minutes have passed, but we were still docked. Meanwhile, Sebestian told us about a bit of astronomy and how they were used to make a compass for stranded travelers at night.
What We Think
When we headed towards Yichang, we came across many upcoming developments such as industrial estates, office complexes and shopping districts as well. Not only that, the guide also told us that the roads have been widened and improved to handle greater traffic flow as well. This shows that, the rate of development in the area has been gradually increasing. As Yichang and Singapore are of similar size and have the same population of roughly 4 million, there are certainly many areas in which both nations can learn from one another.
As we headed towards the Three Gorges Dam, we came across many households in the area, which are using solar power to run their appliances at homes. This can be seen through solar power units installed on rooftops of homes and buildings. Much of the buildings in the area using alternative means to reduce their usage of fossil fuels to generate electricity. The Three Gorges Dam has certainly raised more awareness of the environment as well.
The construction equipment used to construct the dam was simply enormous. Compared to Singapore’s construction machinery, they were simply huge. By looking at the sheer size of the machinery, one can expect how big the project of the Three Gorges Dam really is.
Me, with the background of the DamWhat We Did
This morning, we were to leave for Yichang, Wuhan for a 3D2N trip to the Three Gorges Dam site, to soak in the sights and sounds of the world’s largest dam in the world, which is slated for completion by end 2009. We intended to wake up early, but we woke up late instead. Thankfully, we packed the essential items that we required the night before. Not only that, we need not had to worry about queuing up for breakfast as well at the canteen, which is usually a mad rush, as we bought out breakfast the night before.
We boarded the bus and headed towards Yichang, while having our Breakfast onboard. I finished mine within a couple of minutes, I don’t think one was enough for me, I guess. As the journey towards Yichang would take about 5-6 hours, we decided to take a short nap, as we were up late last night, preparing for the trip.
After 2 hours, we simply couldn’t sleep any longer and we realized that we were on the expressway, headed towards our destination. Looking out of the window, there was large amounts of undeveloped land. There were only huge parcels of land with bright yellow flowers being grown on them. We were told by our guide that they were usually cooked with oil, to make a dish to be eaten along with rice. That sounds quite tasty indeed.
We stopped at a rest house for about roughly 20-30 minutes at around 9.30am. I was surprised to find a LCD Screen TV greeting me when we entered the toilet. It wasn’t something you see every day, especially on a highway stop. Malaysia also has such highways as well, then why are their toilets so different?
As we approached Yichang, there was much more activity in the area as there was much construction in the area on several sites. Not only that, we came across many industrial areas as well as we approached the city area.
Upon reaching Yichang City, we proceeded to have our lunch at Yansha Dajiudian, a restaurant at a nearby hotel. we ate our lunch along with Students from the School of Life Sciences and Chemical Technology (LSCT) from Ngee Ann Polytechnic as well. I didn’t know anyone in particular from that school, so it was hard to communicate with them initially, but after a while, it was alright.
Lunch was certainly a huge spread, as though it was meant for a VIP. A group of eight of us shared a table to have our meal. The four of us, chose Vegetarian and Fish for our meals for the entire duration of the 3D2N trip. We certainly had a wide variety of dishes ranging from vegetables, fish, rice balls, potatoes and many more. I really felt full, after having my meal. I especially liked the green veggies, the fish, and the rice balls. This meal has certainly been my best meal yet, as it provided me with a balanced diet.
Following that, we headed to the check post of the Three Gorges Dam to obtain our tickets for entry as well as the permit for vehicles to pass. This is because the Three Gorges Dam is considered as a national security issue for China. I believe they are strict on one of its most prized assets.
The roads leading to the Three Gorges Dam are very bumpy indeed, especially in the mountainous region. It felt as though we were onboard an aircraft undergoing strong turbulence.
We had to go through a 180m tunnel, followed by a 3km tunnel and a 1km tunnel. They had many escape routes to allow for easier mass evacuation in the event the dam bursts. If the dam blows, there is a high possibility that mass flooding would wipe out almost the entire area surrounding Yichang, which is approximately the size of Singapore.
After a long journey, we finally arrived at the main gate of the Three Gorges Dam Site at around 2.10pm. Upon arrival, we had to undergo screening at the entrance of the facility. Following that, we boarded the tourist bus and headed to the 3 major destinations on the tour.
At our 1st Stop, we headed to the exhibition site, where we told by our guide on how the dam is operated, how electricity is generated, and how the elevator is operated as well. We took some individual photos and group photos as well. The view of the entire area was simply enchanting. There was nothing in the world that would replace such an experience.
At our 2nd Stop, we went to a lower level to gain a better view of the dam, in a much closer view. The guide told us about how the dam was constructed and the consequences that followed due to the methods implemented. I had seriously no idea that the area surrounding the Three Gorges Dam was fortified by the military with SAM (Surface to Air) Missiles. This was the 1st time I had actually heard that a monument had been protected by such defenses. We also bought a set of key chains as souvenirs. As the price was too high, we decided to share and buy a set instead.
At our 3rd and final Stop, we went to the memorial park of the Dam. It was indeed a place of tranquility. I felt pretty much at ease, as there was a lot of greenery and nature in the area. We took some pictures of the dam with the tour guides and the lecturers as well. On the way back, we came across some beautiful flowers and trees as well. Not only that, we came across several enormous construction machinery as well. They were simply huge. The size of the wheel was even higher than my own height. Could you believe that?
We also realized that we had been scammed on the way back, when we realized that the key chains that we bought were overpriced, when they were being sold at half the price instead at that location. It really feels frustrating at time.
On the way back to the restaurant, our tour guide entertained us by singing us songs and telling us riddles to liven to the spirit onboard. Mr. Chua, even sang a song for us as well. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we quickly rushed downed our meals as our cruise was scheduled to leave at 6pm. However, we were having our dinner at 6pm instead. We had to eat as fast as we could and leave the premises.
We didn’t realize that there had been a mix up in one of the dishes at our table. Instead of serving Chicken, we were given Beef. We had only realized it when Sebestian pointed it out to us, whom informed Mr. Chua and Mr. Ma as well as the guides. The owners of the restaurant said that they would look into the matter and promise to not let it happen again.
We boarded the bus again, and headed for the docking terminal. We rushed through the immigration and boarded our vessel, the Silver Moon at 7.30pm, an hour and a half later from departure time. We immediately went to our respective cabins and awaited further instructions. The cabin was pretty small, with a lot of uneven flooring, but it was nice and comfortable. Soon, we were given our keys and tags to indentify which group we are from, we settled in our cabins, while waiting for the vessel to pass through the elevator to bring us out of the Chiangjing River.
We passed by several bridges which includes the Xilu Bridge and the Badong Bridge. 30 minutes have passed, but we were still docked. Meanwhile, Sebestian told us about a bit of astronomy and how they were used to make a compass for stranded travelers at night.
After a while, the vessel made its way to the elevator. It made its way to its designated parking lots, while crew on board started hoisting cables to strap the vessels to the walls. Water started to fill in, allowing the cruise to go higher and higher, till it reached the top. The foul smell of fuel from the vessel filled the air. Upon reaching the top, the gates opened allowing the cruise to make its way out in to the open sea. The ship drifted into darkness, with the night sky filled with a million stars, as it drifted away from the elevator.
Where would it possibly take us to?
What We Think
When we headed towards Yichang, we came across many upcoming developments such as industrial estates, office complexes and shopping districts as well. Not only that, the guide also told us that the roads have been widened and improved to handle greater traffic flow as well. This shows that, the rate of development in the area has been gradually increasing. As Yichang and Singapore are of similar size and have the same population of roughly 4 million, there are certainly many areas in which both nations can learn from one another.
As we headed towards the Three Gorges Dam, we came across many households in the area, which are using solar power to run their appliances at homes. This can be seen through solar power units installed on rooftops of homes and buildings. Much of the buildings in the area using alternative means to reduce their usage of fossil fuels to generate electricity. The Three Gorges Dam has certainly raised more awareness of the environment as well.
The construction equipment used to construct the dam was simply enormous. Compared to Singapore’s construction machinery, they were simply huge. By looking at the sheer size of the machinery, one can expect how big the project of the Three Gorges Dam really is.
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