Three Gorges Ship Lock marks 22 years of operation, handles over 2.24 billion metric tons of cargo(1/3)

Vessels pass through the Three Gorges Ship Lock in an orderly manner, June 17, 2025. (Drone photo: China News Service/ Peng Qiang)

As of June 18, the lock has operated safely and efficiently for 22 years, completing 215,000 cycles and facilitating the passage of more than 1.07 million vessels, 12.29 million passengers, and 2.24 billion metric tons of cargo in total, according to the Yangtze River Three Gorges Navigation Administration. The ship lock, known as a “stairway on water,” is the world’s most technically complex inland lock system, with the greatest number of consecutive lock levels and the highest water head.

Vessels pass through the Three Gorges Ship Lock in an orderly manner, June 17, 2025. (Drone photo: China News Service/ Peng Qiang)

Vessels pass through the Three Gorges Ship Lock in an orderly manner, June 17, 2025. (Drone photo: China News Service/ Peng Qiang)