The story begins on the Yangtze River, where people in the Three Gorges area are packing up their things and leaving behind their homes to find shelter elsewhere. The question is where will they go? Several factors play into this story including the Chinese government, Dai Qing (prominent author and activist in the controversy), economists, the people of Chongqing, the people being displaced (all 1.3 million of them), the Chinese River Dolphin, Chinese Ministry of Water Resources, and the Yangtze River itself. The government feels the dam is a strong test of their power and competence. Many of the people share a different story. As shown by the building of the Three Gorges dam, China has done whatever it takes to improve, even if that means environmental destruction and injustice.