China officially began construction of the Three Gorges new waterway project on Monday in order to meet rising shipping demand along the Yangtze, the world's third-longest river. As the first major landmark national project launched during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the mega waterway project, with an estimated total investment of 77.2 billion yuan ($11.4 billion), consists of a new navigation passage at the Three Gorges Dam and an expansion of navigation capacity at the Gezhouba Dam located downstream. Upon completion, the Three Gorges Dam will have four ship-lock lines plus a ship lift, with a total annual throughput capacity of 336 million tons. The Gezhouba Dam will operate with four ship-lock lines and a total annual throughput capacity of 360 million tons. (Video souce: Hubei Media Group)