Ever wondered what it feels like to be a boat in a giant elevator? This first-person time-lapse puts us right at the front as we rise from downstream to upstream through the Gezhouba Dam locks – then descend back down on the return trip. It's the Yangtze River's very own ship elevator, and we have a front-row seat!

Located in Yichang, Hubei, just downstream from the Three Gorges, Gezhouba is the first large-scale hydroelectric project ever built on the Yangtze – earning it the title of "The First Dam on the Yangtze." This pioneering feat of engineering has tamed treacherous rapids and allows 10,000-ton ships to sail safely upstream, boosting trade and travel along one of China's most vital economic arteries.