Colossal lift for ships tested at Three Gorges

Trial operation of a permanent ship-lift at the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei province began on Sunday, marking the completion of the Three Gorges project 22 years after construction began.

The lift, designed by a Chinese and German team, is the largest and most sophisticated in the world, according to Three Gorges Co, the State-owned company responsible for construction.

The vertical-hoisting elevator is designed for small and medium-sized ships - those with a maximum displacement of about 3,000 tons - to traverse the dam. The water level behind the dam may be as much as 113 meters higher than the river.