Xinhua
08 Jun 2026

(260608) -- YICHANG, June 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on June 8, 2026 shows the construction site in an early-phase excavation zone of the Three Gorges new waterway project in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province. China on Monday began construction of a mega waterway project, including what is expected to become the world's largest inland ship lock, in response to the rising shipping demand along the Yangtze, the world's third-longest river.

It is the first major project to break ground during China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), a critical stage in the country's efforts to advance toward its goal of basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)