China in Crisis: Floods, the Three Gorges Dam, and Tofu Dams Collapse

Heavy rain poured from the sky, flooding the southern provinces of China. The rainfall in Changsha, Hunan Province, within an hour, was enough to fill 54 west lakes in Hangzhou. In Changsha, water reached up to an adult's neck in some areas, other parts of southern China, including Zhuzheng, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong, and the Guangxi region also experienced heavy rain and flooding. Guilin, in Guangxi, faced its worst flood in 30 years since mid-June, affecting over 180,000 people due to continuous heavy rain and upstream flood discharges, causing water levels to rise rapidly. At the hydrological station in Guilin, water levels peaked at nearly 149 meters at one point. The rising river water flooded urban areas. Meizhou, Guangdong, also turned into a vast ocean. Residents in many parts of southern China reported never seeing such heavy rain and rapid floodwaters. Property losses, living difficulties, environmental destruction, and severe threats to people's lives were widespread. Centuries-old cultural relics were also destroyed in the floodwaters, such as in Anhui Province. Dams releasing floodwaters without warning are the cause of serious flood disasters. What is the cause of these unusual natural disasters? Let's explore this in today's program. Is it just the rain from the sky? In Anhui Province, there is Chunkan Village, once praised by philosopher Zhu Xi as the first village in Jiangnan. It has a large number of ancient Huizhou architectural relics, such as the Laodong Temple and a complex of ancient buildings. There is also the Huantou Bridge, built during the Yuan Dynasty, now about 700 years old, but it has been damaged by floods. Additionally, Qingdao Radio Arts reported on June 24th that the statue of Poet Li by Enteowatantown, Xuanqing, Anhui had been submerged up to its chest. This statue is part of a complex depicting the scene of Wangluan seeing off Poet Li Bai by Taohuapu. This flood disaster is not just due to heavy rain. Unannounced flood discharges from dams have accelerated the flooding. Heavy rain is only part of the cause, as rain alone has never caused such rapid flooding in the plains. For instance, on June 23rd, a video from Sichuan Television was cited, revealing that in a village in Anhui, water levels rose by 4 to 5 meters within minutes. In Changsha, two restaurant employees in the Zaiyuewee commercial area reported that water began rising around 9 a.m. By 11 a.m., the entire first floor of the restaurant was flooded, showing how quickly the water rose. All the heavy rains in Meizhou, Guangdong, Gilin, Guangxi, and Fujian Province, etc., couldn't cause such rapid water level rises without state involvement in unannounced flood discharges. And this is what Chinese mainstream media remained silent about. On June 16th, the Huangtian Reservoir in Huangtian Village, Pingyuan County, Meizhou, suddenly discharged floods. Surveillance cameras recorded a house in Zhangyan Village, The video showed local water levels rising by 2 meters within 3 hours. In this image, just by looking at the position of the pig clinging on, one could see how high the floodwaters rose. When floods were discharged in Guangdong, many videos on social media platform X showed that on June 22nd, heavy rains in Xianning, Hubei, drowned over 20,000 chickens of a farmer. According to the farmer in the video, multiple reservoirs simultaneously opened floodgates, causing water levels to rise by more than 1 meter within 10 minutes, leaving no time to save 1,000 chickens while over 20,000 drowned, causing a loss of about 200,000 yuan. We raise them ourselves, how can we buy insurance? According to government reports, as of 3 p.m. on June 21st, heavy rain in Pingyuan County, Meizhou, had caused 38 deaths and 2 missing persons. But the actual number can only be known by the government. The Vision Time interviewed Sheng Xue, a writer living in Canada and vice president of the Global Democratic Front. She said, When I saw this flood, my first thought was the flood in Zhuozhou, Hubei province, last year, which was also caused by the government deliberately diverting and releasing floodwaters, causing a flood disaster. At that time, how many people died, no one knows, and the government will never tell the truth. The truth is that knowing such weather was coming, they did not think of ways to save people, so the public could avoid the disaster. Instead, when people were asleep at night, unprepared and unable to escape, they used flood discharge to achieve their political goals. Not only Sheng Xue, but Zhao Longjian, a former mainstream media figure in China, also recalled last year's incident in Zhuozhou, Hubei province, where the Beijing government discharged floods to protect Xiongan. He described the incident as a political flood. Xiongan is a city built under Chinese leader Xi Jinping's directive to make it a model city for his political legacy. However, it was originally a natural flood discharge area in the Chinese plains. Logically, once a natural flood discharge area is built into a city, the surrounding cities and residential areas will inevitably become flood discharge zones. To prevent Xiongan from being swept away by floods from the Taihang Mountains, a flood-controlled dam was built west of the city, causing massive floods in peripheral areas that hadn't flooded in hundreds of years. Zhao Longjian also criticized the government's unannounced midnight flood discharge as an extremely cruel massacre. If they discharged during the day, they couldn't hide the source of the floods from the people. Meanwhile, Chinese media continues to remain silent. The Three Gorges Super Dam has accumulated 1.8 billion tons of sediment, a giant tsunami bomb waiting to explode. China's Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric project ever built in history. To date, this record has not been broken. When construction began in 1994, this dam was designed to control Asia's longest river in the country, the Yangtze River, or Yangtze River, the third longest in the world. The huge weight of water behind the Three Gorges Dam has begun to erode the banks of the Yangtze River in many places, along with frequently fluctuating water levels, causing a series of landslides, Xinhua News Agency reported. The most surprising thing, NASA said, is that this dam actually has the ability to slow down the Earth's rotation rate due to the huge volume of the reservoir. China Central Television, CCTV, reported that at 2 p.m. on July 12, the inflow of water into the Three Gorges Reservoir was 54,000 cubic meters per second Nearly 40% of flood water has been retained in the reservoir and is preparing to be released, which will cause severe flooding downstream. According to monitoring records of the Three Gorges Project's operating department, the Three Gorges Dam has experienced movement, leakage, and deformation, but did not reveal detailed related data, only saying generally that it was within the normal range while emphasizing that. The safety index of the dam's water-blocking architectural items remains stable. Since last year, social networks outside China have spread images of the deformed Three Gorges Dam, making the public worry that this giant dam may burst. Recently, mainland Chinese media published an article with the title The Three Gorges Dam Has Done Its Best, Please Stop Criticizing It, making Chinese people exclaim in surprise, could it be that the Three Gorges Dam has received a death sentence? And yet, the deepest concern at the Three Gorges Dam is sediment. By cutting off the flow of the Yangtze River, the dam trapped large amounts of silt, which not only reduced its ability to control floods by filling the reservoir but also caused widespread erosion downstream of the river. Chinese media reported that in the 18 years since the Three Gorges Dam was built, 2006 to 2024, the dam has accumulated 1.8 billion tons of sediment, which could form a small mountain. What are the catastrophic consequences of sediment accumulation? It is important to know that the Three Gorges Dam was built on the Yangtze River. As a dam, it blocks the river to a large extent. Sediment accumulation caused by large amounts of water will affect the nearby Chongqing area. Once a potential danger occurs, the consequences will be extremely dire. Famous Chinese hydraulic engineer and professor Huang Wanli once predicted that the Three Gorges Dam would cause Chongqing's ports to be clogged with silt and gravel within a decade. The Washington Post quoted some Chinese hydrologists as saying that the Yangtze River's heavy silt and its shifting gravel would obstruct the Three Gorges Dam's own turbines, affecting power generation efficiency, fill the reservoir bottom, affecting the ecological environment, and cause even worse flooding. Sedimentation of hundreds of millions of tons per year will certainly block Chongqing port, It would create a giant water bomb equivalent to the destructive power of a nuclear bomb. Once the Three Gorges Dam breaks, it will create a powerful tsunami that will wash away everything downstream of the dam. Professor Huang Wanli's warning nearly 30 years ago has partly come true. According to statistics, after 18 years of operation, the Three Gorges Dam has accumulated 1.8 billion tons of sediment. Notably, this process is still increasing at a rate of 100 million tons of sediment deposited each year. Great danger is hanging over the heads of the Chinese people. Chinese geologist Fan Xiao also pointed out that the reservoirs of the Three Gorges Dam can hold less than 9% of peak floodwaters. The Three Gorges Reservoir can only temporarily mitigate some flooding upstream, but it is powerless against flooding caused by heavy rain in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. He believes that the Three Gorges Dam and other major dam projects can exacerbate flooding because they have altered the sediment flow downstream of the Yangtze River, and the dam's electricity production needs also affect flood control. When people consider using reservoirs for flood control, they often overlook or ignore the natural regulatory capacity of rivers and lakes. According to Wang Weiluo, an expert on the Three Gorges Dam issue, the flooding disaster on the Yangtze River this year is entirely man-made because the water levels and flow rates of all reservoirs and dams in the Yangtze River Basin are controlled by the Chinese government. They are all regulated by the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission. Recently, major earthquakes occurred in Sichuan with a magnitude of 5.8. Many internet users are puzzled by a question, why has Sichuan, an area with historically few earthquakes, experienced frequent tremors in the past decade? At that time, Mr. Liu Xiaozhu, the deputy chief engineer of the Three Gorges Dam Construction Supervision Committee, openly admitted that the issue of cracks on the Three Gorges Dam had arisen since October 2000. He candidly stated that out of the over 20 million cubic meters of concrete poured for the Tamsang project, more than 2,000 cracks had appeared. Despite the alarming number of these cracks, most of them were only 20 to 30 meters long and approximately 1 millimeter wide. Although remedial measures had been implemented, the cracks have continued to appear since 2003. We are fully aware that Tofu Dregs projects are alarming in China because construction companies often cut corners. Many collapsing incidents were entirely preventable man-made disasters. These accidents have occurred in mainland China over the past few years. The root cause is widespread corruption and the use of personal connections to cut corners, leading to the construction of substandard, dangerous buildings and infrastructure. This rampant corruption is a result of the existing political system in China, which is characterized by a lack of transparency and accountability. So, the question is, that is the Three Gorges Dam really tofu construction? Let's discover underlying secrets and scientists' controversy about this dam. Recently, major earthquakes occurred in Sichuan with a magnitude of 5.8. Many internet users are puzzled by a question, why has Sichuan, an area with historically few earthquakes, experienced frequent tremors in the past decade? Regarding the causes of the frequency in earthquakes, some internet users believe it's due to the presence of the Longmen Fault Zone, while others think it's because of the Three Gorges Dam. The dam has created a massive reservoir at the border of Sichuan and Hubei, which has impacted the geological stress balance in the region. This theory can be extended back to the early 20th century when Alfred Wiesner developed the theory of plate tectonics. According to this theory, the Earth's lithosphere is divided into several plates, and the movement of these plates causes earthquakes. Reservoir-induced earthquakes occur mainly because the immense volume of stored water increases water pressure. Under this pressure, rock fractures and fault surfaces become lubricated, altering the original stress equilibrium within the bedrock and crust, leading to earthquakes. Wikipedia also provides an explanation for this phenomenon. Earthquakes induced in specific areas due to certain external crustal factors are known as induced earthquakes. These external factors can include underground nuclear explosions, The most common form of induced earthquakes is reservoir-induced seismicity. Not all reservoirs lead to induced earthquakes. It depends on factors like the presence of active faults and rock rigidity. Sichuan and Chongqing happen to be located in the Longmen Tectonic Fault Zone, and when you add the water volume from the Three Gorges Dam, it will become a disaster. At this point, many people recalled Mr. Huang Wanlei and his prediction. If the Three Gorges Dam is constructed, it will eventually be forced to be demolished. Huang Wanlei made this statement with his reasons, citing examples from other countries. The Yangtze Three Gorges will cut off the sand flow, causing upstream floods to rise and frequent overflows. Downstream land reclamation will cease and tidal flats will erode. Therefore, some countries in the world have ceased to build large dams on rivers. For example, Brazil has shelved 25 dams that were originally planned to be built on the Amazon River. In Malaysia, the entire nation opposed the $4 billion Sengkelton Razak Dam. In India, construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which had been under construction for eight years, was halted. In Australia, the plan to build the Tasmanian Dan on the Franklin River was cancelled. Huang Wanlei further pointed out, for power generation, dam construction can use hydropower, but it can affect the topography and harm people's livelihoods. Therefore, people generally use hydropower generation at the source, as it does not have significant negative effects. Alternatively, they switch to thermal or nuclear power generation. Second, from an economic perspective, the Three Gorges Dam has a high cost per kilowatt with a construction period of 17 years. It is better to consider the renovation of many medium to large 500,000 to 1 million kilowatt stations built successively with one being completed in five years and with results each year to recover funds, making it more economically viable after the decision to build the Three Gorges Dam. Huang Wanlei predicted, more suspended sand drifting in the water will also partially deposit, blocking Chongqing Port and cutting off the waterway. When the floodwaters rise, it will inundate the areas upstream of Hechuan and Jiangjing. However, in the prevailing circumstances at that time, the Three Gorges Dam had to proceed. Huang Wanlei could not stop the trend, and he was deeply troubled by this. He repeatedly lamented, They didn't listen to me. In his later years, while he was seriously ill and in a coma, he murmured the Three Gorges, the Three Gorges it must not be built. He left this world with profound regrets. This is the story of Huang Wanlei, the son of Huang Yanpei, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Huang Wanlei could have pursued a political career, becoming a provincial leader. However, he chose an academic path and spent his lifetime opposing the construction of the Sanmenxia and Three Gorges projects. Despite being sent down and facing adversity, he never changed his views. The reason why Huang Wanlei opposed the initiation of the Sanmenxia project was because he was the person in China who understood the nature of the Yellow River better than anyone else. No one knew the Yellow River like he did, and that was the case then, and it remains the case today. Huang Wanlei obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Hydraulic Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1937. He was the first person in China to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Hydraulic Engineering. From 1945 to 1947, Huang Wanlei served as a site engineer at the Ministry of Water Resources in Nanjing. He served as the director and chief engineer of the Gansu Provincial Water Resources Department and a member of the Yellow River Water Resources Commission. His relationship with the Yellow River began in Gansu. Without his on-site investigations in Gansu, there might not have been his unique insights in the Sanmenxia project. When he took office, to May 7, 1949, Huang Wanlei worked for a little over two years in the Gansu Provincial Water Resources Department. These two years, and a bit, were the eve of the collapse of the nationalist government in turbulent times in extremely impoverished Gansu. Huang Wanlei made every effort to develop water resources projects benefiting the local population. Simultaneously, the extremely difficult environment became his stage to display his talents. Some say that his time in Gansu was a peak in his career as a hydraulic engineer. In Gansu, he truly got to know the Yellow River and developed his water management style, which later gave rise to his shocking statement, The Yellow River is a good river. In 1958, the anti-rightist campaign swept across the country. On the evening of June 8, 1958, Huang Wanlei faced a choice. He could either sign a confession of wrongdoing and admit to his mistakes in the anti-rightist campaign, or he could oppose the entire campaign and accept the consequences. In the end, he chose the latter. Huang Wanlei became the leader of rightists and was purged from public life. Under a hail of criticism, he was sent to be re-educated in the suburbs of Beijing and was not permitted to hold any post in government. However, this did not shake his belief in his cause. His strong stance against the Sanmenxia dam was not only expressed in writing but also in the 300,000-word letter he wrote to Chairman Mao. The man who wrote this letter was being purged by the Communist Party at the time. In the letter, Huang Wanlei said, Now that there are 10 years of reservoir storage in Sanmenxia, there is no way to empty the reservoir. The possibility of storing water every year has become a reality. So I strongly request that the Sanmenxia project be halted immediately and that the government make a clear and solemn announcement that it will not build the Sanmenxia project. If there is not a sincere resolution, it is not too late to resolutely carry out this matter now. From the time the Sanmenxia project was launched until his death 24 years later, Huang Wanlei continued to oppose the project. Regardless of how he was punished, how he was looked at, or the price he had to pay, he never gave up his opposition. This is why Huang Wanlei has become one of the four most important figures in the history of the Yellow River. The other three are Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Chairman Mao, and Premier Zhou. Under the premise of the consensus of all members of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission, the four pictures were hung on the wall of the conference room of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission. Huang Wanlei also composed poems in his later years. Before his death, he wrote with a message that when a decision is made, there is no return. You can never pull back the boat you've set free. When the current speeds up and deepens, you will see its courage and grandness. In his letter, Huang Wanlei said, The anti-rightist movement is like a dam, and the water accumulated behind the dam is like the thoughts in my mind. I have too many words, and they need to be released. What I say today is only one-third of the total. From this, we can see that the anti-rightist movement had no influence on his determination to oppose the San Mengxia project. We can see the high respect that Huang Wanlei had for the Yellow River from his later years. From the past to the present, there has never been a more complete, comprehensive, and precise plan for the development and conservation of the Yellow River than the Huang Wanlei plan. To this day, his plan is a bright light on the horizon. Huang Wanlei also loved the Yellow River from the bottom of his heart. Huang Wanlei's opposition to the San Mengxia project was not only the courage of a scientist, but also the wisdom of a leader. It was a great and heroic effort. He never wavered, no matter what punishment or hardship he had to endure, and he made history by maintaining his position. The story of Huang Wanlei was a historical tragedy. He was the victim of the anti-rightist movement and of the San Mengxia project. As a result, he was wronged and unjustly treated. This is one of the tragedies of history. For the San Mengxia project, there was also a lesson to be learned. Unfortunately, it was Huang Wanlei who had to learn this lesson. Perhaps it was the law of history that dictated the outcome. It is believed that history is fair and just. Time will tell us who was right and who was wrong. Although Huang Wanlei has passed away, the academic spirit and noble character he displayed during his lifetime will always be remembered. Huang Wanlei once said, For the San Mengxia project, there was always a solution. The simplest and most effective solution was to give up the San Mengxia project. However, the San Mengxia project continued, and after 13 years of construction, the San Mengxia Dam was completed in 1960. Now, 60 years have passed since the completion of the San Mengxia Dam. In 2009, the San Mengxia Dam was ranked first on the 10 major ancient engineering projects in China list. Looking back at Huang Wanlei's predictions, they seem remarkably accurate and prescient. The issues he raised have continued to be relevant, especially regarding the sedimentation problem that plagues the San Mengxia Reservoir. In the next episode, we will keep eyes on the secrets of two documents and some characters participating in the Three Gorges Project's ecological and environmental group.