Will Wonders Never Cease, Part 2
7/7/07 wasn't just the date that a desperate housewife and a basketball superstar got hitched in Paris . . . it's also when the results of the New Seven Wonders campaign were revealed in Lisbon. More than 100 million votes were cast by folks around the world in this people's choice contest.
Here's who made the final list: The Great Wall of China, Jordan's Petra, Mexico's Chichén Itzá, the Statue of Christ Redeemer in Brazil, Rome's Colosseum, Peru's Machu Picchu , and the Taj Mahal.
Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Pyramids of Egypt), only the Pyramids remain; they were given honorary Wonder status in this competition.
This contest has not gone without controversy; Egypt was upset by the very idea that the Pyramids would have to compete (see here for more details), and according to a press release , "UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO's World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning "The New 7 Wonders of the World.'"
Okay then. Personally I think it's a neat way to get folks interested in history and geography and perhaps inspire some to travel. Next up for NewOpenWorld Foundation, the organization that started this whole thing? The campaign for the New7Wonders of Nature. Nominations will be accepted through Aug. 8, 2008.
Let's start the nominating process now. What would you put on the list?
By Anne McDonough |
July 9, 2007; 9:59 AM ET
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Anne McDonough
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Posted by: Thomas | July 9, 2007 11:16 AM
Natural wonder? The Great Barrier Reef off Australia, of course.
Posted by: C. | July 9, 2007 2:36 PM
Actually, I would the Great Barrier Reef among the top 7 Natural Wonders, but pretty close to the bottom of that list below:
The Grand Canyon
Niagra Falls
Yosemite National Park
Victoria Falls
Carlsbad Caverns
Posted by: T. Bonk | July 9, 2007 3:38 PM
I don't understand what happened to the engineering wonders that were not even part of the finalists...
Panama Canal
Hoover Dam
St. Lawrence Seaway
Suez Canal
CN Tower
The Chunnel
Hikashi-kiakio Bridge
Tokyo International Airport
Just because something isn't artistic or nice to look at doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered a "Wonder."
Posted by: Engineer | July 9, 2007 3:43 PM
I second the Grand Canyon! It took me 50 years to get there, and it was oh so worth the aching calves to hike down from snow, through fog and mud, to blissful heat and back again in the course of a day... Plus, as a solidly mediocre photographer, I can testify that you really can't take a bad picture of the Grand Canyon.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 9, 2007 3:47 PM
Seriously, Christ the Redeemer? It's just a big ol statue, and isn't it made of concrete? I refuse to be impressed by works of Art Deco splendor. I'd be pissed if I was Angkor Wat.
Posted by: h3 | July 9, 2007 4:32 PM
I wonder about the validity of the www.natural7wonders.com since their links to Imprint and T&C don't work...and there's no "who we are" info either.
Posted by: jk | July 11, 2007 11:55 AM
Tikal and Angkor Wat are two of the most amazign things I ahve ever beheld
Posted by: VA | July 12, 2007 12:17 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I'm a little disappointed that a number of the choices, including some winners, are not what I would call a wonder or even an architectual marvel. I refer mostly to the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio, which is an amazing sight overlooking the spraling city. However, does it really make you "wonder" how it was contructed or how it got up there? I would contest a resounding NO, and would refer people to some of the other truly "wonderous" marvels that did not win the contest including Easter Island, Stonehenge, and the Acropolis.
I would concur that this list is mostly right by including the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Coloseum, and Machu Picchu, but I'm disappointed that a couple of the selections are not that "wonderful."