Tankeng reservoir, Stausee in China
Tankeng reservoir is a large body of water in Zhejiang Province, China, covering about 70 square kilometers and fed by the Ou River. The water is held back by Tankeng Dam, a massive concrete-face rock-fill structure that rises over 160 meters tall and stretches more than 500 meters long.
The project was planned in the early 1980s, construction started in 2003 and finished in 2008, with the reservoir beginning to fill that same year. Building the dam was part of China's efforts to generate power and control flooding in the region.
The reservoir is also known locally as Qianxia Lake and reflects the natural environment of the region. The area shows how people and nature coexist in this landscape.
Visitors can walk across or near the dam and explore paths along the shoreline that offer quiet access and views of the water and surrounding hills. Early morning or late afternoon hours are best for walking, and fishermen find good spots along the water's edge.
The dam generates about 600 megawatts of electricity through three large turbines, supplying renewable power to many homes and businesses across the region. However, its construction required the relocation of around 50 thousand residents from ten towns and eighty villages that were submerged by the water.
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