posted by Traveller on Jul 17

The New Seven Wonders of the World have been announced in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007.   The Wonders are decided by about 100 million Internet and phone voters around the world.  They chose from 21 sites short-listed out of 77 sites. Some short-listed sites are the Acropolis in Athens, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the statues on Easter Island, Stonehenge in Britain, Angkor Wat temples in Combodia, Status of Liberty in New York (US), Alhambra in Spain, among others.

The people’s choice are; the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal in India, the ruins of Petra in Jordon, the status of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico and the Colosseum in Rome (Italy).

Status of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.  The status of Christ, standing on Mount Corcovado overlooking Rio de Janeiro is Rio’s top tourist attraction.  Each year, this magnificent monument attracts 1.8 million visitors.  The status took five years to construct and is made of concrete.  The arms of Christ was wide open, almost looking like a cross, symbolized loves and embraces all who come to Him. In 2006, on the 75th anniversary of the status, a chapel was consecrated there.

The Colosseum in Italy. This Colosseum, a symbol of the city Rome, was constructed nearly 2,000 years ago during the first century AD.  The construction was completed in AD80 during the Roman Empire. This is the largest amphitheatre in the centre city of Rome which has a seating capacity of around 50,000 spectators.  It was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles.

The Great Wall of China.  This great wall was constructed over 2,000 years ago. This wall is the longest human-made structure.  It stretches over 6,4000km from the Shanhai Pass in the east to Lop Nur in the west.  In 1986, Unesco named the Great Wall a World Heritage Site.

The Pink Ruins of Petra in Jordon.   This ruins is located 200km south of the capital Amman. It comprises temples and tombs carved in the rock. This was the capital of Arab Nabataean nomads who settled in the area more than 2,000 years ago.  This area was the junction for trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Unesco named the pink ruins of Petra  a World Heritage Site.

The Ancient Mayan City Of Chichen Itza In Mexico.  This is a pre-Columbian city built around AD500 located in the north of the Yutacan Peninsula in Mexico.  “Chichen Itza” means “at the mouth of the well of the Itza. This was named by the Maya. There are four staircases, each having 91 steps leading up to a platform. This made up of 365 level for 365 days of the year. The astronomical observatory and the temper of warriors are the most imposing building.

The Taj Mahal of India.  The Taj Mahal of India is situated in Agra and was commissioned by the Mugal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtax Mahal. The construction of the building begun in 1632 and was completed around 1648.  It was built of white marble and is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. Nearly three million visitors visit the Taj Mahal a year.

The Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. Mauchu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru which is about 70km north-west of Cuzco.  This is a pre-Columbia city created by the Incas.   In 1911, archaeologist Hiram Bingham brought this site to the attention of the international community.

With the New 7 Wonders of the Worlds being identified, it is time to consider making a trip to these wonderful places and enjoys its awe.

But of the 7 Wonders, where is the best place to visit first? Indeed this is a difficult choice since all of them are not to be missed. What you can consider is to visit one place per year and in seven years, you will have covered them all. 

With the advance of Internet, you can book your travel and airline tickets at the comfort of your home. Best of all, you can search and compare all the cheap flights before you make your decision. In this way, you will make great saving on your bookings.  Traveling is getting easier now with all these information available. You do not need to make a trip to your travel agent for inquiry and you do not need to visit your local library to seek for information on the places.   Happy traveling :)