Longtan Hydropower Station Scenic Zone in Tian'e county

Longtan Hydropower Station Scenic Zone in Tian'e county. [Photo by Pan Bingkang/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Longtan Hydropower Station Scenic Zone consists of a dam, underground power station, Longtan Sky Lake, and Nafubao Exposition Garden. It is a major development project on the Hongshui River and one of 10 key Great Western Development projects. It is also a strategic "west-east power transmission" project as well as China and Asia's second largest hydropower project after the Three Gorges Hydropower Station on the Yangtze River. It will have a power capacity of 6,300 megawatts and is expected to produce 18.7 billion kilowatt-hours annually. Total water capacity is 27.3 billion cubic meters and flood control storage capacity is seven billion cubic meters.

The project consists of two phases of construction, with the current phase having an elevation of 374 meters, a power capacity of 4,900 megawatts, an output of 12.34 million kilowatts, an annual utilization of 3,400 hours, and annual generation of 14.79 billion kilowatt-hours. The regular elevation of the reservoir is 375 meters with a total capacity of 16.2 billion cubic meters and a flood control storage capacity of five billion cubic meters.

Longtan Hydropower Station Scenic Zone in Tian'e county [Photo/IC]

When completed, the dam will break three world records, becoming the highest RCC gravity dam, with a maximum height of 216.5 meters, length of 832 meters, and concrete volume of 7.37 million cubic meters; largest below ground power station, with a length of 388.5 meters, width of 28.5 meters, and a height of 74.4 meters; and the highest vertical lift for a ship, at 179 meters maximum, and a length of 1,650 meters.

Longtan Sky Lake is a reservoir formed by the hydropower station. It has a surface area of 377 square km and a maximum depth of around 200 meters. It is located in the Phoenix Mountains on the border of eastern Guizhou province and northwestern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, crossing a total of 10 counties.

The lake is a bright green pearl at the edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with superb scenery and a pristine environment. It's an ideal place to relax and escape the stresses of everyday life.

Longtan Hydropower Station Scenic Zone in Tian'e county [Photo/IC]