downstream at (about high). Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric and Water Diversion Project While the government of the PRC has declared the establishment of a "Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon National Reservation", there have also been governmental plans and feasibility studies for a major dam to harness hydroelectric power and divert water to other areas in China. The size of the dam in the Tsongpo gorge would exceed that of Three Gorges Dam as it is anticipated that such a plant would generate 50,000 megawatts of electricity, more than twice the output of Three Gorges. It is feared that there will be displacement of local populations, destruction of ecosystems, and an impact for downstream people in India and Bangladesh. The project is criticized by India because of its potential negative impact upon the residents downstream. In 1999, R.B. Cathcart suggested that a fabric dam—inflatable with freshwater or air—could block the Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon upstream of Namcha Barwa. Water would then be conveyed via a hard rock tunnel to a point downstream from that mountain. Steel dams are more advantageous and economical in remote hilly terrain at high altitude for diverting the run off water of the river to power generating units. References in media The gorges may have helped inspire the idea of Shangri-La in James Hilton's book Lost Horizon in 1933. In the 2007 fighting game Akatsuki Blitzkampf, the biggest base and research facility of the villainous organization Gessellschaft is hidden in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, referred to in-story as the "Tsangpo Ravine". The second part of the game takes place in said base, with the player fighting their way inside it until they reach the last enemy. See also Nyingchi Zangmu Dam South–North Water Transfer Project Inga dams Bailey–Morshead exploration of Tsangpo Gorge Notes References Further reading Wick Walker (2000). Courting the Diamond Sow : A Whitewater Expedition on Tibet's Forbidden River. National Geographic. . Todd Balf (2001). The Last River : The Tragic Race for Shangri-la. Three Rivers Press. . Michael Mcrae (2002). The Siege of Shangri-La : The Quest for Tibet's Sacred Hidden Paradise. Broadway. . . Peter Heller (2004). Hell or High Water : Surviving Tibet's Tsangpo River. Rodale Books. . Ian Baker (2004). The Heart of the World : A journey to the last secret place. Souvenir Press. . F.Kingdon Ward (Author), Kenneth Cox (Editor), Ken Storm Jr (Editor), Ian Baker (Editor) Riddle of the Tsangpo