All in Travel » New 7 Wonders

The Great Wall of China in China

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:27:48 +0000

The Great Wall of China is a wall that the Chinese Dynasties constructed to keep invading forces out, and there have been several walls over several time periods. The Great Wall is the longest human made structure and it is 6,500 kilometers in length, it is also the biggest man made structure in the world if you account for mass.

Many lengths of the wall are in disrepair, are being pilfered for stones, vandalized, and demolished for construction, losing more of its mystique as this occurs. Constructed mostly from bricks the wall has battlements that are throughout the top, and stretch on for great distances. There are also watchtowers at regular intervals along the wall that served as locations for gathering guards and doing what watchtowers do, while there were also barracks and signal towers as well at regular intervals. Today it is the most visited attraction in China for tourists, bringing in millions for local commerce.

The Petra in Jordan

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:24:10 +0000

The Petra is a place in Jordan which lies in a basin in the large valley that runs from the Dead Sea to Aqaba. It is carved into solid rock and was lost until 1812, although some people did know of it previously. There is no actual definitive date of when the Petra began.

In 106 it was annexed into the Roman Empire and the native rule came to and end, however the city continued to do very well, and within the next century the city had reached its peak, being completely carved into the mountainside. However, as suddenly as this apex was reached everything ceased, there were no more new constructions, coins were no longer in production, and it became a religious area for feasts and traditions. In 2006 a visitors center was established and planned tours have begun, with 59 thousand people visiting in December alone, and expected to increase exponentially.

The Chichen Itza in Mexico

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:21:01 +0000

The Chichen Itza is a large archaeological area located in Mexico in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, and was a major center for the Mayans. It is believed that the construction began at around the seventh century, and became a major center between then and the tenth century.

The city is unique in that when it was actively ruled, rather than having a regent or single ruler it relied on a council which chose of what actions to take and not to take – however there was by far no evidence of democracy as all the councils were of royal blood. In the thirteenth century the Chichen Itza began its decline, with a civil war and ruler ship of its location shifted to another city. The former city consist of many buildings, such as El Castillo or the Temple of Kukulcan, the Temple of the Warriors, the Ball-court, the High Priests Temple, the Las Monjas, El Caracol, and many others densely packed in the ceremonial center and surrounding area.

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:20:21 +0000

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer stands 38 meters tall over the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and is located at the peak of the 700 meter tall Corcovado Mountain, weighing an impressive 700 tons. The first ideas came about in the 1850’s; however nothing was constructed until a few years before its opening in 1931 to the public, and it celebrated its anniversary for its seventy fifth year in October 2006.

There is also a small chapel so weddings can be performed underneath the statue of Christ The Redeemer. It had been originally planned that the statue of Christ The Redeemer would be constructed out of steel, however the choice was changed before construction to switch to reinforced concrete, and then the outer layers were made from soapstone. Today it is one of the most popular religious tourism spots in Brazil, and very popular for weddings and baptisms.

The Machu Picchu in Peru

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:17:29 +0000

The Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca Empire relic often called “The lost city of the Incas” and it is over seven thousand feet up in altitude. Originally a city constructed around 1450 by the Incas it was abandoned just a century later, when the empire fell at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors – it was never found by the Spaniards and hence preserved, forgotten for four hundred years.

Machu Picchu is separated into three sectors with them being given names, such as the Sacred District, the Popular District, and the District of the Priests and Nobility – a royal or high ranking Inca zone that most commoners would not have been allowed into. All the architecture is classic Inca stonework and strong massive construction, with over a hundred flights of stone steps carved in granite and fountain systems throughout. It was not until 1911 that this hidden or lost city was rediscovered by the world, although the locals knew of it quite well. Since then it has become a popular visiting location for those wishing to be “adventurous” with over four hundred thousand visitors in 2003.

The Taj Mahal in India

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:16:36 +0000

The Taj Mahal was commissioned for being built as a mausoleum for the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was constructed between 1632 and 1648 and consists of gardens, several outlying buildings, and the tomb itself, with almost all the surfaces being decorated, with the exterior decorations being the best found in Mughal architecture.

The designs were applied using stone inlays, paint, stucco, and carvings, along with using calligraphy, there are also many motifs on the lower walls that are designed with realistic bas relief flowers and vines. The Taj Mahal is 55 meters tall, with the dome being 18 meters in diameter and 24 meters tall. The complex tomb and plinth took about 12 years to finish, with the rest of the complex and gardens taking twelve years. The structure was restored in the late 1800’s and early 20th century after having fallen into disrepair and defacement by British soldiers and others who were not so kind to the massive structure. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the entire country with it having millions of tourist each year.

The Colosseum in Italy

Shenron — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:11:48 +0000

The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater, is a large construction that is 48 meters high, 189 meters long, and 156 meters wide with the entire structure taking up six acres. What you see when you look at the massive structure today is actually the original interior wall, not the exterior which has collapsed in many areas.

The total capacity of this magnificent marvel of Roman engineering was around 87 thousand people, along with this seating there were special box seating areas for the Emperor, of course giving him the best view. In the 1800’s the structure was stabilized and some parts restored after hundreds of years of abuse, neglect, and usage for other buildings. The facade was reinforced with brick wedges and much of the interior was repaired thrice, having been done so in 1831, 1846 and throughout the 1930’s. Today it stands as a monument to the power of the Roman Empire, and it is a major Tourist attraction in the city or Rome with thousands upon thousands visitors each year paying to go into the arena.