Three Gorges Dam withstands its biggest test

The Three Gorges Dam in Yichang of Central China's Hubei province opens its nine deep drainage outlets to discharge floodwater with a flow of 40,000 cubic meters per second on July 20, 2010. The Three Gorges Dam on China's Yangtze River went through its first major flood-control test Tuesday. The flow on the river's upper reaches topped 70,000 cubic meters per second - 20,000 cubic meters more than the flow during the 1998 floods that killed 4,150 people and the highest level since the dam was completed last year. All ferry services were halted at the Three Gorges Dam on Monday, and the 30-km exclusive road along the river was opened to vehicles carrying shipping cargo. [Photo/Xinhua]