Three Gorges Dam belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 2006 CE at Yangtze River, China. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
The world’s most powerful hydroelectric plant — a wall that remade a river and relocated over a million people.
How it amazes the brain
Concrete gravity dam, ship locks, and a lift for vessels. Scale measured in gigawatts and social cost.
Why it counts as a wonder
It never needed a contest ballot to scramble the brain: scale, craft, or sheer improbability is enough.
A wonder that forces the question: what are we willing to move for power?
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 2006 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 68 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.