The vista of the Three Gorges Dam on Sunday in Yichang, Central China’s Hubei province.

Floodwaters gush through the sluice gates of the dam on Aug. 23. During this year’s flood season, which started in June, the dam’s water inflow reached 75,000 cubic meters per second, its largest-ever surge.

Power utility poles dominate the left bank of the Three Gorges Dam in March 2017. The dam had generated more than 1.35 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity by August 2020, national authorities said.

Ships line up Sunday to pass through the locks of the Three Gorges Dam.

Turbines work in the dam’s underground power house in 2012.

Ships coast along the Yangtze River in May 2017. By end of August 2020, the dam had registered a total of 1.48 billion tons of cargo through its locks, significantly boosting the delta area economy, national authorities said.

The Three Gorges Dam spans the width of the Yangtze River in 2009 when its preliminary design and construction was completed.