The Unbong Dam, or Yunfeng Dam, is a concrete

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...

on the

Yalu River The Yalu River () or Amnok River () is a river on the border between China and North Korea. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between China and North Korea. Its valle ...

which borders China and North Korea. It is located northeast of

Ji'an Ji'an ( zh, c=吉安 , p=Jí'ān) is a prefecture-level city situated in the central region of Jiangxi province of the People's Republic of China and bordering Hunan province to the west. It has an area of and as of the 2020 census, had a popu ...

Jilin Province ) , image_skyline = Changbaishan Tianchi from western rim.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = View of Heaven Lake , image_map = Jilin in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_a ...

, China and Chasŏng in

Chagang Province Chagang Province (; ) is a province of North Korea; it is bordered by China's Jilin and Liaoning provinces to the north, Ryanggang and South Hamgyong to the east, South Pyongan to the south, and North Pyongan to the west. Chagang was formed ...

, North Korea. The primary purpose of the dam is

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power generation and it supports a 400 MW power station. Construction of the dam had initially began in August 1942 but was halted in 1945 after the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

ending

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In October 1959, construction on the dam recommenced and in September 1965, the first of the four 100 MW

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The pro ...

-generators was operational. The last generator was operational on 4 April 1967. The tall dam creates a reservoir with a storage capacity of . The dam's spillway is an overflow type with 21 floodgates and has a maximum discharge of . The dam is located before a bend in the river and its power station is located on the other side of a ridge that meets the dam's right abutment. Water is delivered to the power station via two tunnels, and long. Generators 1 and 3 deliver power to China while 2 and 4 deliver to North Korea.

References

{{Yalu River dams Dams in China Hydroelectric power stations in Jilin Gravity dams Dams in North Korea Hydroelectric power stations in North Korea China–North Korea relations Dams completed in 1965 Dams on the Yalu River 1965 establishments in China 1965 establishments in North Korea Buildings and structures in Chagang Province 20th-century architecture in North Korea

See also

References