Story of John Lucian Savage and his Dream of the Three Gorges Dam
2023-04-26 20:04:53
By Chen Zai, Yichang International Communication Studio
John Lucian Savage was an American civil engineer who supervised the design of the Hoover Dam, Shasta Dam, Parker Dam, and Grand Coulee Dam. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the recipient of numerous awards including the John Fritz Medal.
Savage on the way to his Three Gorges survey
John Lucian Savage was an American civil engineer who supervised the design of the Hoover Dam, Shasta Dam, Parker Dam, and Grand Coulee Dam. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the recipient of numerous awards including the John Fritz Medal.
In China, he is known for hydrographic surveying the Three Gorges Dam.
In 1918, Sun Yat-sen, China's democratic forerunner, proposed the construction of a dam in the Three Gorges as part of his “The International Development of China” initiative.
In 1944, after reading G.R. Paschal's "Proposed Plan for China to Utilize American Loans to Construct Hydro-Electric Plants and Repay the Loan" (which proposed a bold plan to loan $900 million from the US to supply equipment for the construction of a hydroelectric power station in the Three Gorges), Savage requested to pay a visit to the Three Gorges.
On May 10, 1945, 65-year-old Savage, at the invitation of Chiang Kai-shek, flew from India to Chongqing, embarking on his quest for the "Dream Dam.”
The Three Gorges Dam Dreamt by Savage
At the time, Yichang was still occupied by the Japanese, and the Nanjing Pass at the Xiling Gorge was at the forefront of the war. However, the dangerous situation did not deter Savage. He left a will before conducting a 10-day survey of the Three Gorges at the Shapingping Dam near Nanjing Pass in Yichang.
Savage on the way to his Three Gorges survey
After the survey, Savage published his report titled "Yangtze Gorge and Tributary Project,” also known as the Savage Plan, in which he stated in the preface: "The Yangtze Gorge Project is a ‘CLASSIC'." He also stated that it would bring employment and a higher standard of living to China.
In the "Savage Plan," he proposed the construction of a 250-meter high dam between Nanjing Pass and Shapingping in Yichang, equipped with 48 hydroelectric generators and a total installed capacity of 10.56 million kilowatts.
In June 1946, the joint design of the Three Gorges Project by China and the United States officially began, with more than 70 engineers from both countries participating in the design. In September 1946, 46 Chinese engineering and technical personnel arrived in Denver, USA, to participate in the joint design work of the Three Gorges Project.
In 1946, Chinese and American designers discussed the design of the Three Gorges in Denver
On June 3, 1946, the first of the dams he suggested, the Upper Tsing Yuan Tung, began construction but was halted on August 15, 1947, due to the Chinese Civil War.
In 1967, Savage passed away.
His dream eventually became a reality. In February 1953, Mao Zedong proposed the construction of a dam at the Three Gorges during his visit to the Yangtze River, resulting in The Three Gorges Dam being approved in 1992 and completed in 2006.
Today, the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project spanning the Yangtze River in Yichang City, serves as a tribute to the spirit of John L. Savage and a testament to the cooperation between China and the United States in the challenging field of water resources.
