After the Flood: Cultural Heritage and Cultural Politics in Chongqing Municipality and the Three Gorges Areas, China

Following the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and the gradual filling of the lake in recent years, the municipality of Chongqing, which holds most of the massive reservoir, has undergone great ecological and social changes. Aside from environmental problems and social issues, the construction of the dam has inevitably also affected the "local cultural heritage," putting in place new criteria for its definition. Charting the development of preservation debates around the sites affected by the Three Gorges Dam, this essay discusses how conservation and rehabilitation priorities are always tied to cultural politics in various national and international realms.