According to the data of the handheld college entrance examination, the Three Gorges University was approved by the Ministry of Education and merged from the former Wuhan Institute of Water Resources and Electric Power (Yichang) and the former Hubei Three Gorges University on May 25th, 2000. The former Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Power (Yichang) was formerly known as Gezhouba Hydropower Engineering College, which was established in 1978. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Electric Power Industry and the State Power Company. 1996 merged with the former Wuhan University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power to form a new Wuhan University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, which became an important part of "Project 2 1 1" to build a university. The former Hubei Three Gorges College was formed by the merger of Yichang Normal College, Yichang Medical College and Yichang Vocational College on 1996. The history of the school can be traced back to 1923. Undergraduate education began in 1978, and it is the first batch of bachelor's degree awarding units in China. 1996 started postgraduate education, 1998 trained doctoral students.