Dam construction using modern technology learnt from abroad started in the first five decades of 20th Century. Concrete dams were built in 1941 in Northeast. Most masonry dams were constructed for water supply and a few earth dams for irrigation. In all, there were only 22 large dams before 1949.

Dam construction has developed very fast since 1950. There are now 17,526 dams 15-30m high and 4,578 dams exceeding 30m. Dams higher than 100 m in operation by the end of 1999 number 32.

There are about 320 dams under construction in 1999, with 23 being more than 100 m high in recent years. The highest double curvature arch dam is Ertan, 240 m high, to be completed in 1999 (see photo). It is the fourth highest concrete dam in the world.

Regarding dam type, the embankment dam is in the majority. The number of concrete dams is gradually growing as dam heights steadily increase, but the new trend is towards the concrete faced rockfill dam and RCC dam, the number of which is gradually rising.

The Three Gorges Project, which attracts worldwide attention, has the largest hydropower station in the world. Its installed capacity of 18,200 MW and peak flood discharge of 124,300m³/s (check flood) are both world records. The total amount of engineering to be work is tremendous. The total volume of concrete to be placed is 27.94 million m³ and reservoir capacity is 39.3 billion m³; construction is now in full swing.

In pursuing water resources and hydropower development, many more major projects will start in the 21st Century, including Xiluodu arch dam (height 273m) and Xiangjiaba gravity dam (161m) on the Jinshajiang, Jinping 1st cascade (300m) on the Yalongjiang, Hongjiadu concrete faced rockfill dam (178m) on the Wujiang River; Xiaowan arch dam (292m) on the Lancangjiang, Longtan RCC gravity dam (216m) on the Hongshuihe, Laxiwa arch dam (250m) on the Yellow River, etc. These projects will symbolize the further greater progress of dam construction in China and promote dam construction technology.