The Xiluodu Dam is a hydroelectric dam project on the Jinsha River

Jinsha River

Jinsha River is the westernmost of the major headwater streams of the Yangtze River, southwestern China.Its headwaters rise in the Wulan and Kekexili ranges in western Qinghai province, to the south of the Kunlun Mountains, and on the northern slope of the Tanggula Mountains on the border of the...

, i.e. the upper course of the Yangtze River

Yangtze River

The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

 in China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. In early 2005, the Chinese government

Government of the People's Republic of China

All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...

 halted the construction due to lack of environmental impact studies. Later, construction was restarted. If completed, the Xiluodu Dam will be the third tallest dam in the world and a key component of the Jinsha

Jinsha River

Jinsha River is the westernmost of the major headwater streams of the Yangtze River, southwestern China.Its headwaters rise in the Wulan and Kekexili ranges in western Qinghai province, to the south of the Kunlun Mountains, and on the northern slope of the Tanggula Mountains on the border of the...

 project. The total generating capacity will be 13,860 MW.

The dam site is located near Xiluodu Town

Town (China)

When referring to political divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 . It is a fourth-level administrative unit, i.e...

, the county seat of Yunnan

Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...

's Yongshan County

Yongshan County

Yongshan County is located in Zhaotong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China.-Poverty:Yongshan is a state-designated poor county, which means the average income of its people is below 530 yuan a year - that is, less than 30 US cents a day.-External links:*...

. The other side of the river is in Sichuan

Sichuan

' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

's Leibo County

Leibo County

Leibo County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Ayi Jihu, a singer signed to British company Shlepp Records, is from Leibo County.-References:...

.