The new 7 wonders of the world: better than the last? - Political Forum

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 07-08-2007, 04:04 AM

7 new wonders of the world have been named. Do you think that the respondents to the poll have good taste?

Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer
Peru's Machu Picchu
Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid
The Great Wall of China
Jordan's Petra
The Colosseum in Rome
India's Taj Mahal

Quote:

Wondrous, once more Jul 7th 2007
From Economist.com
Listing the world's seven wonders

THE ancient Greeks had their list of the seven wonders, dotted in and around the Mediterranean, to aid and entertain travellers. Of these only the Pyramids at Giza, in Egypt, remain. But on Saturday July 7th (yes, 07/07/07) at a glittering show in Lisbon, Portgual, the trick will be repeated when a new list of seven wonders is unveiled.

Bernard Weber, a Swiss-Canadian explorer who devised this extravaganza, hopes it will put him on a par with Pierre de Coubertin, the Frenchman who revived the Olympics. An original list of 177 monuments has been whittled down to 21 by a panel of architectural experts, chaired by a former boss of UNESCO. This includes widely-recognised monuments such as the Acropolis in Greece and the hidden city of Petra in Jordan. But in an effort to go farther afield than the Greeks managed, the Easter Island statues and the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan, among others, are included too.

Mr Weber’s attempt to recreate an iconic list of landmarks is hardly original. Endless lists of “wonders”, whether ancient, medieval or modern, have been drawn up. The American Society of Civil Engineers declared its “Seven Wonders of the Modern World” in 1994, including the Panama Canal and the Channel Tunnel. A rival list of wonders dreamt up last year by two American media outlets included the internet and the polar ice caps. What makes this attempt more notable is Mr Weber’s claim to be democratic. Whereas the other lists were decided upon by experts and judges, anyone with access to the internet or a mobile phone has been invited to vote for the winners this time.

Inevitably, voters in some countries have proven to be more enthusiastic than others. India has used Bollywood glamour to promote the Taj Mahal. Back in 2004, the screen diva Aishwarya Rai oversaw the launch of a balloon, inscribed with an exhortation to vote, which was then tethered to the site—to the horror of aesthetes. More recently a pop singer toured the country singing about the Taj Mahal. In Brazil, the cost of voting via text has been waived by telephone companies and the president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has encouraged citizens to take part.

But not everybody was keen. Egypt’s authorities have called the competition “nonsense” . The pyramids are “living in the hearts of people around the globe, and don't need a vote to be among the world wonders,” said the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass. The pyramids have now been withdrawn. UNESCO has also been at pains to distance itself from this competition, saying there is “no comparison” between Mr Weber’s popular campaign and the jolly serious scientific work done by the UN experts at World Heritage sites. The UN body also grumbles that the results of the latest competition cannot be considered democratic when many people have no access to the internet.

Does that mean the competition is worthless? Mr Weber’s privately-funded “New 7 Wonders Project” has pledged that half of all its net revenue will be used for the restoration of selected monuments. For some sites extra publicity may boost tourism, which may—or may not—help raise funds for their protection. For the 100m people whom the organisers expect to have voted by Saturday night, and for the many who were expected watch a global broadcast of the results, the benefit matches that of the ancient Greek travellers: the fun of it all.

The new seven wonders of the world - Boston.com

Taj Mahal / Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid

Great Wall / The Statue of Christ Redeemer, Brazil

Great Temple of Petra, Jordan / Incan ruins at Machu Picchu, Peru

The Colosseum, Italy

Rick · 07-08-2007, 04:36 AM

The only ones I'd agree with are the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, and the Taj Mahal. Petra is just elaborate rock carvings. Christ the Redeemer is just a clunky reinforced concrete statue on a hill - there's nothing "wonderous" about it, likewise Machu Picchu. I would certainly include the Pantheon in Rome - the only building to survive perfectly from ancient times, due to its ingenious construction.