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Vanja Keindl: My life in China

Why does Ertan matter so much to me?

In my last post I mentioned that I would now tell you why one mega hydropower plant matters so much to me. This story is not only about concrete and megawatts, it is about people, experiences and life in one of the most isolated regions of China.

Ertan hydropower plant – a project that changed the landscape

The Ertan hydropower plant was the largest hydropower project in China in the 1990s. It lies on the Yalong River in Sichuan Province. The dam is 240 metres high and the installed capacity of the plant is 3,300 MW – at the time the largest hydropower plant in the country and a symbol of China’s economic rise.

The project lasted more than ten years, and thousands of engineers and workers from all over the world took part in building it.

Today, when I think back to those years, the first thing that comes to mind is not the size of the dam or the megawatts, but the people, the sounds and the smells of that faraway world.

The shops were empty, the choice of food was modest, and little things that are normal elsewhere were a luxury for us. Because of that I learned to value the things we usually take for granted.

What did the Ertan hydropower plant teach me?

For me, Ertan was much more than a construction site. It was my life, my school of gratitude and strength.
In the end, it taught me that joy does not come from what you have, but from what you create.

And most importantly: it taught me that it is possible to live and to love even in the hardest circumstances.

But more about that in my next post!

 

Written by Vanja Keindl

founder and owner of KEINDL BAU

and the Wolkenhawk resort

Read more: Magic of Vietnam III: Light · Magic of Vietnam II: Rain · Magic of Vietnam I: Echo

About the author: Vanja Keindl, civil engineer – building physics and energy efficiency · KEINDL BAU