Three Gorges Dam, Five-Stage Ship Locks & Ship Lift Explained

The Three Gorges Dam and Its Navigation FacilitiesOVERVIEW

The Three Gorges Dam spans the river, and the water levels above and below it differ by tens of meters — ships cannot simply climb over. Two sets of navigation facilities were therefore built:

· The double-line, five-stage ship lock: carved into the mountain on the dam's left bank, with a total water-level drop of about 113 meters. Ships rise and descend step by step like a "staircase on the water," with the full passage taking several hours;
· The ship lift: a large "elevator-style" dam-crossing facility. A ship enters the carrier chamber and is lifted vertically as a whole, dramatically shortening the crossing time.

In addition, the Gezhouba lock lies about 38 km downstream of the dam; cruises operating Chongqing–Wuhan/Shanghai long routes pass through the locks of both dams in sequence.

How the Five-Stage Lock Works: A 113-Meter "Staircase on the Water"LOCKS

The five-stage lock consists of five lock chambers in series, working like a multi-step staircase: after a ship enters the first chamber, the gates close and water is pumped in (or drained when heading downstream) until the water level aligns with the next chamber; the miter gates open and the ship moves into the next one. The process repeats five times to span over a hundred meters of water-level difference.

The water level rises and falls smoothly throughout, and people on board barely feel it. When passing at night, the giant miter gates and the floodlit lock chambers are especially spectacular. Because lock passage takes a long time and is subject to Yangtze shipping dispatch arrangements, it may occur in the daytime or at night — subject to the actual arrangements of the cruise line and the authorities.

The Dam Bypass: Most Cruises Don't Pass the Lock on Their HullTRANSFER

Many travelers assume a cruise must "sail straight through the five-stage ship lock." In reality, most Chongqing–Yichang cruises do not pass the lock on their own hull: the lock's throughput is limited and queuing takes hours, so the mainstream practice is —

The cruise docks at Maoping Port, Sandouping Port, or Zigui Port upstream of the dam; travelers go ashore to tour the Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area, then the cruise line arranges a coach to "bypass the dam," traveling by road around the dam to downtown Yichang. Luggage is transferred with the vehicles. Cruise lines generally provide complimentary transfer service between downtown Yichang and the port; travelers must arrive at the designated meeting point on time.

The advantage of this arrangement is a controllable schedule unaffected by lock queues; the trade-off is missing the experience of passing the lock on the ship's hull. For two ways to experience crossing the dam, see the next section.

The Ship Lift: An Optional Dam-Crossing Experience at About RMB 200-300 Per PersonLIFT

For travelers who don't want to bypass the dam by road but still want to "cross the dam" in person, most sailings offer an optional Three Gorges ship lift excursion: after the cruise docks, travelers transfer to a sightseeing boat that enters the ship lift's carrier chamber and is lifted vertically across the water-level difference, then transfers back downstream of the dam. The fee is generally RMB 200-300 per person; it is an optional onboard excursion with no mandatory participation, subject to what is announced on board for the sailing.

The highlight of the ship-lift experience is "taking an elevator with the whole ship": the carrier chamber rises and descends smoothly with the vessel inside, offering a close-up upward view of the dam itself — the most direct way for Chongqing-Yichang short-route travelers to get a sense of "crossing the dam."

Which Ships Pass the Lock on Their Own Hull?SHIPS

To pass the dam's navigation facilities on the ship's hull during your itinerary, there are three main options:

① Certain Chongqing-Yichang ship types: such as Yangtze No. 1 and the Yangzi Explorer, which pass the ship lift on their own hull during the itinerary;
② Long-route cruises: cruises operating Chongqing–Wuhan/Nanjing/Shanghai long routes (such as Yangtze No. 2, Century Legend, and President No. 7) must continue downstream and therefore pass both the five-stage lock and the Gezhouba lock on their own hull — see Long-Distance Cruises: Chongqing–Wuhan/Shanghai — Worth It?;
③ The optional ship-lift excursion: as in the previous section, suitable for the vast majority of Chongqing-Yichang short-route sailings.

Whether and when a ship passes the lock on its own hull are subject to each cruise line's actual sailing arrangements and the authorities' dispatch; confirm with us before booking.

FAQQ&A

To confirm whether a particular sailing passes the lock on its own hull, feel free to contact a Three Gorges Cruise Center consultant to verify.

Extended Reading & Hull-Passage Ship TypesEXPLORE

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