[7] The dam is intended for hydroelectric power production, flood control and navigation.

[8] The dam was planned in the 1950s, but preliminary construction (roads, bridges, river diversion) did not begin until 1940s.

Formal construction began on the project July 1, 2001, and the river was diverted by November 2003.

[10] Impounding of the 27,270,000,000 m3 (22,108,149 acre⋅ft) reservoir began in 2006, and the dam's first of three operational hydroelectric generating units was testing May 2007.

[8] Chinese officials assert the dam and ship lift will turn the Hongshui into a "golden waterway" for reaching landlocked Guizhou and Guangxi provinces.