“Engineering at work! At the Three Gorges Dam, ships travel between different water levels, overcoming the height difference with ease.” On May 20, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning shared a video of the Three Gorges twin five-step ship locks on overseas social media, accompanied by this caption of praise.

　　In the video, as the lock gates cycled open and shut, massive cargo ships traversed the chambers sequentially, ascending or descending tier by tier in a meticulously coordinated process. The vessels navigated the Three Gorges Dam with precision, overcoming the structure’s 113-meter elevation differential, a vertical challenge equivalent to scaling a 40-story skyscraper, while maintaining safe, orderly, and efficient transit operations.

　　The footage, originally released domestically on May 15 via CCTV’s Xinwen Lianbo, gained global traction after Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning strategically posted it for international audiences on May 20. “Wow! The ships are going up the stairs. Amazing!” commented one impressed viewer among thousands of international reactions.

　　As the world’s largest and most technically advanced inland ship locks, the Three Gorges system handles enormous traffic. In just the first four months of this year, it processed 3,342 lock cycles, 12,000 ships and 51 million tons of cargo.

　　Since opening in 2003, the lock has facilitated over 2.2 billion tons of shipments, playing a crucial role in connecting China’s inland regions with coastal ports. This engineering marvel continues to demonstrate how innovation can overcome natural challengeswhile boosting economic growth.