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Twenty-one years after the switch being flicked on at the world's largest hydroelectric power project at the Three Gorges Dam in Central China's Hubei province, millions of terawatts of green energy has been generated, the threat of devastating floods along the Yangtze River has been reduced and navigation on Asia's longest waterway has been made easier.

In order for this megaproject to take place, the dam would result in the water level along certain stretches of the Yangtze rising by as much as 100 meters, displacing as many as 1.3 million people.

Resettling these communities, often just a few hundred meters from their previous homes, has been an equally monumental task that, with subsidies and investment, has added to the benefits already created by the dam and power station.

Prosperous move

The No 38 Farm Stay in Wutu village of Dazhou town, Chongqing, enjoys sweeping views of the Yangtze River. Each year, some 6,000 guests visit to enjoy the natural scenery and get a taste of country life.

Zhang Shifang, the proprietor of the farm stay is one of the locals that were relocated 15 years ago. "My former house and land were submerged just 100 meters from the farm stay here," she said.

Among the various resettlement alternatives provided by the government, she opted to receive a resettlement subsidy, and then decided to work in a big city to earn a higher salary.

In 2019, on a return trip home to visit her mother, Zhang noticed something odd. Wutu was bustling with tourists, and new roads and infrastructure had been built all around the village.

It turned out the projects stemmed from the post-relocation support funds allocated for the Three Gorges Dam resettlement, and the resulting facilities had enabled a flourishing tourism industry to spring up.

Noticing an opportunity, Zhang decided to return to the village permanently and establish the No 38 Farm Stay.

"We not only provide dining here, but also offer karaoke, tug-of-war, badminton, chess, checkers, mahjong — which is very popular in Sichuan and Chongqing — and there's a square nearby where visitors can play ball games," she said.

In the years since its opening, Zhang said the farm stay has enabled her to earn as much as 300,000 yuan ($41,790) every year, more than what she would be able to earn elsewhere.

Farm stays have become a popular business in the area, and 45 farm stays now employ 200 local people.

"In Dazhou town, the Three Gorges Project affected 4,857 individuals, and many of them lost their land due to the rising water. To enhance income and prosperity for the relocatees, the town has tried hard to support them starting up farm stay businesses, with the aim of establishing a demonstration town for rural tourism," said Zhou Jianhong, Party secretary of Dazhou town.

With the Three Gorges post-relocation support funds and follow-up project funds, the town has curated a collection of unique attractions such as the winding 10-kilometer riverside promenade and the sun-moon square in Wutu village. These attractions have garnered widespread recognition in Chongqing, attracting approximately 200,000 tourists to visit Wutu village each year, according to Zhou.

Last year, Dazhou town's cultural tourism increased by 10 million yuan year-on-year for farmers, and by 3 million yuan for poverty-alleviated households, Zhou said.

Better environment

A total of 168 projects, aimed at helping relocatees settle and prosper, improve the ecological environment, and enhance the safety in reservoir areas in Xingshan county of Yichang, Hubei province, have been approved for construction. Some 160 of those have been completed, using 2.5 billion yuan in funding from the Three Gorges follow-up special subsidy, said Long Jingli, deputy head of Xingshan county.

One of the projects, the highway from Gufu town to Zhaojun town in Xingshan, has become known for being China's "most beautiful highway on the water" as it skims the river bank.

Stretching 20.25 kilometers, the winding highway that traverses the Xiangxi River offers travelers the opportunity to relish mountain vistas and river views akin to a painting. Private vehicles, intercity buses and coach tours ply the road back and forth, with its observation decks and platforms enticing numerous tourists and artists who come from far and wide to sketch the vistas.

It's practical too. When the highway opened to traffic in late 2015, the journey time from Xingshan county to Yichang was reduced to a mere 1.5 hours, greatly facilitating the travel of the people of Xingshan and significantly augmenting the income of resettlers in Shenduhe village, Gufu town, Xingshan county.

Wan Wei, Party secretary of Shenduhe village, said, "40 percent of the population in Shenduhe village are resettlers from the reservoir-affected area."

Before the road was built, the transportation cost was very high. Buyers would have to drive all the way to Shenduhe village to purchase citrus fruits in bulk for just 0.5 yuan per kilogram, which was the main source of income for the villagers, said Wan.

After the completion of the road, the villagers themselves could travel further and sell these fruits for 1.5−2 yuan per kilogram, reclaiming pricing control and tripling their incomes, he added.

Last year, the average annual household income in Shenduhe village reached around 19,000 yuan, and over 85 percent of households owned a car. The village's total revenue exceeded 28 million yuan, a one-third increase from 2015, Wan said.

In other towns of Xingshan county, the Three Gorges follow-up special subsidy has also significantly improved the quality of life of the people relocated.

Chenjiawan village, with more than 300 residents relocated to higher ground, launched the Zhaojun Manor project in March 2015, renovating the facades of 97 buildings, constructing 6,850 square meters of green space, converting 96 latrines into flushing toilets and developing 19.5 km of comprehensive networks for rainwater, sewage and communication, greatly enhancing the village's appearance and living environment.

Li Xiaojiao, deputy secretary of the Chenjiawan village Party committee, said it used to be an unclean and disorderly place. "By leveraging a total investment of 46 million yuan, including the Three Gorges subsidy, the town now has a very tidy and stylish appearance and has become a place popular for cultural tourism, attracting 830,000 tourists since 2015, and achieving a total tourism revenue of approximately 50 million yuan."

In Xingshan county, the Three Gorges reservoir submerged a 9.3-square-kilometer area resulting in the relocation of 34,300 residents.

A highway connecting Gufu and Zhaojun towns in Xingshan county, Hubei province, dubbed "China's most beautiful highway on the water". WU ZHIZUN/XINHUA