And that, say critics of the Three Gorges project, is the problem.

Ms. Dai, who was imprisoned after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and lost her job, has emerged as the leading opponent of the Three Gorges project.

The PRC just terminated its options with Caterpillar-equipment to finish up the Three Gorges project.

"But now he has put another nail in the coffin of the Three Gorges project."

However, today's ceremony also drew attention to the scope of the Three Gorges project, which is breathtaking.

The scholars' appeal has drawn an angry response from the chief engineer of the Three Gorges project, Wei Tingcheng.

Jia himself suggested that this support was due to the fact that "[t]he impact of the Three Gorges project is phenomenal.

"We were just ordinary farmers, but we've gotten rich from the Three Gorges project," she said.

After the Three Gorges project, the second largest dam project under way in China is the Xiaolangdi Dam, which has received little notice.

The Three Gorges project spans such a long time that more than 300,000 Chinese who have not even been born yet are among those counted to be relocated.