The rising water level behind the Three Gorges Dam is but one facet of the massive changes over the last five years. Old cities and towns, untouched for centuries, have given way to brightly painted and taller modern surroundings complete with fast food restaurants and retail chains for international sporting brands like Adidas and Nike. Social habits and lifestyles are changing as well as residents seek out new outlets for leisure and entertainment. Even the fields near the dam, which had been scarred for years by heavy construction equipment, have been turned into picturesque parks where lovers gather in the evenings. Left: Taipingxi June 2003 (top) and Zigui Oct 2006 (bottom). Right: Taipingxi Nov 2008.