New 7 wonders of the world named

[Ice]

New 7 wonders of the world named


http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/07/06...ers/index.html

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(CNN) -- The new seven wonders of the world were named Saturday following an online vote that generated server-crushing traffic in its final hours.
art.greatwall.afp.gi.jpg

The Great Wall of China was among the top vote-getters of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" project.

The final tally produced this list of the world's top human-built wonders:

• The Great Wall of China

• Petra in Jordan

• Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer

• Peru's Machu Picchu

• Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid

• The Colosseum in Rome

• India's Taj Mahal

Before the vote ended Friday, organizers said more than 90 million votes had been cast for 21 sites.

Voting at the Web site, www.new7wonders.com, ended at 6 p.m. ET Friday. Traffic was so heavy Friday that the site was crashing at times.

One message urged voters to use text messages as an alternative form of voting. "Keep on voting, as it is your votes that decide the New 7 Wonders of the World," the message said.

"We have traffic that is simply off the scale," Tia Vering, spokeswoman for the "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign, told CNN.com. "Things are just going ballistic."

The new wonders were announced at a star-studded event Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal, that featured performances by Jennifer Lopez and Chaka Khan. The event was hosted by Oscar winners Hilary Swank and Ben Kingsley as well as Bollywood star Bipasha Basu. Send CNN.com photos and video of your favorite "wonder"

The top contenders for the seven wonders were last made public in early June.

The oldest candidate was Britain's Stonehenge; the newest was Australia's Sydney Opera House. The U.S. Statue of Liberty also was among the choices.

Voting nearly doubled after the June results, when organizers said about 50 million votes had been cast. A single user can cast multiple votes.

To be considered for the competition, all structures had to be built or discovered before 2000. All are among top tourist attractions around the world.

Of the seven ancient wonders of the world, only one remains standing today, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
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Some nations have enthusiastically endorsed the new wonders campaign. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Jordan's Queen Rania actively promoted their countries' hopefuls.

But the new wonders campaign hasn't been universally recognized. The United Nations' cultural organization, UNESCO, issued a statement saying it has "no link whatsoever" to the vote.

Egypt's top antiquities expert also objected to the list. He said Egypt's pyramids are a "symbol of the genius of the ancient people" -- and are above any sort of online poll.

As a result, the organizers struck up a compromise. The pyramids have been assured honorary status, in addition to the new seven wonders.

The new wonders project was the brainchild of Swiss businessman Bernard Weber. He said he wanted to invite the people of the world to take part in selecting the world's greatest wonders.

"So that everybody can decide what the new seven wonders should be and not some government, not some individuals, not some institutions," he said.

Vering said she believes the vote has accomplished that goal.

"We've managed to bring culture out of the museum -- out of the dusty, dry academic corners -- and have people talk about it," she said. "That, we feel, is the greatest achievement of this campaign."

Well I've been to 0/7. I could have gone to Chichen Itza pyramid, when I was on the Yucatan in Mexico, but I didn't. Damn.

[naut]

Sydney Opera House was a finalist? Ugly building IMHO.

[Ronin]

Sub-title - "Nobody cares"

[Stig]

Wonders of the World should be real impressive things, something of which you can say: "That they build that"
Therefore I miss The Easter Island Statues for example

Sides this still is an internet vote, which means there will also have been some sort of nationalism while voting, pity tho.

[Ja'chyra]

I don't agree with the statue in Brazil but can't complain about the rest of them.

[Husar]

I think it's lame, wonders of the world were called wonders of the world because they were mostly outstanding achievements of great architects etc.
Now these were elected over the internet, are more modern, and to be honest, they hardly raise an eyebrow here because when most of them were built, technology was already modern enough that for them to be considered wonders, I'd expect a lot more.

[edyzmedieval]

My opinion: Lame vote.

Christ's statue in Brazil as a wonder? Pleeease... I could hire 10 people and in 1 month I could have a twice bigger one in my garden.

[Bijo]

I am not impressed either. In fact, I'm so critical and difficult to please that if God Himself would appear before me I would not be shocked but immediately ask critical questions and engage Him in debate.

And if that is what I would do THEN (assuming He would not use sneaky divine powers like some Jedi), then this... this... "7 wonders of the world thing" is just... BAH!

[Warmaster Horus]

Same here.

Although I prefer Christ Redeemer as a wonder rather than the Eiffel Tower. As Dan Brown put it: "France - a country renowned for machismo, womanizing and diminutive insecure leaders like Napoleon and Pepin the Short - could not have chosen a more apt national emblem as a thousand foot phallus".

[Conradus]

I think that description is more fitting for our Italian friends :) And don't forget that the French had Charlemagne

That said, I agree with most of the 'new' wonders of the world. The Colloseum -the only one I visited- wasn't the most impressive building in Rome, but really worth a place. I actually hoped Crist Redeemer was dropped in favor of Angkor Wat or the Acropolis. And somehow I've never found the Great Wall of China to be that impressive.

[seireikhaan]

I think that description is more fitting for our Italian friends :) And don't forget that the French had Charlemagne

That said, I agree with most of the 'new' wonders of the world. The Colloseum -the only one I visited- wasn't the most impressive building in Rome, but really worth a place. I actually hoped Crist Redeemer was dropped in favor of Angkor Wat or the Acropolis. And somehow I've never found the Great Wall of China to be that impressive.

Really? I would have the Great Wall and the Pyramids as the only two to be guaranteed to be in. I also think Chitchen Itza is worth a spot as well. These strucutres weren't comleted with modern equipment., they had to be done with lots of back breaking labor and sound architecture. Also, I would probably have the colloseum there too. Actually, the only one I really disagree with is Christ Redeemer. I'd rather see Easter Island there instead. And since I think the list of 7 great wonders should actually be seven, I would get rid of Machu Pichu as well so that the Pyramids at Giza would be in as well.

[Stig]

I think the Statues of Easter Island and Stonehenge should be in. You try building those with two pieces of stone and some wood.

[Conradus]

Really? I would have the Great Wall and the Pyramids as the only two to be guaranteed to be in. I also think Chitchen Itza is worth a spot as well. These strucutres weren't comleted with modern equipment., they had to be done with lots of back breaking labor and sound architecture. Also, I would probably have the colloseum there too. Actually, the only one I really disagree with is Christ Redeemer. I'd rather see Easter Island there instead. And since I think the list of 7 great wonders should actually be seven, I would get rid of Machu Pichu as well so that the Pyramids at Giza would be in as well.

I agree on the Pyramids and Chicken Itza or the Colloseum, but the Great Wall's just a very long wall over all sorts of terrain, somehow that just isn't as great as pyramids of 150m height or a temple as beautiful as the Parthenon. Not including the fact that most nations build wals at a point and China had the advantage of a larger population for this one. When I purely look at esthetics, then the Basilica San Pietro deserves a place too, arguably it's a prettier building than the Colloseum and build without modern tools.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I cannot believe that the Great Pyramid isn't in. Not only was it an incredible feat of manual labour, the accuracy of their measurements and the construction beggars belief, considering their level of tech.

I'll add to the voices of dissent over Christ the Redeemer. While I like the statue a lot, and its location makes it very impressive, it's not a wonder.

[Caius]

I cant believe that the Glacier Perito Moreno wasnt in that list.

Its a natural wonder.

[CountArach]

Statue in Brazil? Never even heard of it! Its ridiculous that it is there in the first place.

[Motep]

These new wonders are lame...There are much better things that should go in that list! Say, the pyramids...GAH!!! Stupid voters!!!

[Samurai Waki]

I was actually a bit disappointed with Chichen Itza... Wow...Thats Pretty Big. Time to drink some of my water and heave up it....4 Minutes Later. *Wipes Eyebrows* Phew... that was a climb *looks around* Yup. Wow. People Look Little From Up here *sigh* I guess its time to walk down...

[lancelot]

A single user can cast multiple votes.

What the hell point is there in that?

[Warmaster Horus]

So as to get seven wonders...

Ya see, if everyone votes for the same wonder, you'd have 1 new wonder of the world. And that wasn't the point.

[AntiochusIII]

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer!?

It's a magnificent statue, but World Wonder?

Color me not convinced.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Supposedly Brazil organized a huge effort/campaign to make the statue one of the Wonders. Something about not charging any rates for those that voted, etc.

Obviously, it worked.

[Marius Dynamite]

I like the statue at Rio but its hardly a world wonder. I would have had the Great Pyramids instead. I wouldn't have the Colloseum there. Palaces were probably built bigger and (or at least) better than the colloseum in its day. The colloseum has an interesting history along with the rest of Rome, but its far from a wonder IMO.

[Warmaster Horus]

The fact is, these new "wonders" - mind the quotation marks - are added to the 7 old ones. So now we have 14 wonders of the world. Which explains the impossibility of chosing amongst the seven old wonders.

[Whacker]

This whole thing was a publicity stunt, no matter what the organizers try to explain it away as, and nothing more. The original list of wonders was simply an ancient Greek view on the world as they knew it, nothing more and nothing less. The fact that UNESCO is pretty much ignoring all of this (which I agree with), and the fact that several "wonders" made the list which in my view are dwarved in comparison and grandeur by other amazing manmade works, ultimately solidifies in my mind that I will ignore this completely.

/shrug

[Caius]

I like the statue at Rio but its hardly a world wonder. I would have had the Great Pyramids instead. I wouldn't have the Colloseum there. Palaces were probably built bigger and (or at least) better than the colloseum in its day. The colloseum has an interesting history along with the rest of Rome, but its far from a wonder IMO.

They publicited EVERYWHERE the direction www.n7w.com with a text in portugese saying that the Christ is idontknowwhatthehellsaididontknowportuguese.

[Papewaio]

Internet + multiple votes + vote buying = invalid.

[Whacker]

Internet + multiple votes + vote buying + non-UNESCO sanctioned + religiously motivated campaigning + voting by uneducated masses + publicity stunt = invalid.

Just wanted to add those few but important additions to the already valid-yet-incomplete equation there Papester.

...

I mean seriously, Christ the Redeemer? THAT won when compared to other modern human constructs such as:

Largest suspension bridge in the world

Tallest current skyscraper in the world

Largest man-made islands in the world

Deepest mine in the world, where temperatures reach 55C, and air conditioning is required

Biggest dam(n) in the world

And if you want religious items, what about:

Largest Buddha statue in the world (not modern, but still...)

Largest christian church in the world

Largest mosque in the world

Personally, if they really wanted to make a "modern" list of the 7 greatest world wonders, I'd prefer that an educated, learned group of individuals, like the leaders of UNESCO or the National Geographic Society, make this instead of the ignorant seething masses who would be politically or personally motivated. I mean c'mon, buying votes? Man, I can't wait for the first time I get to have an argument/discussion with someone in person about this BS. /dripping sarcasm

[Geoffrey S]

Will people continue to make magnificent structures? Such buildings as the Colosseum, St. Peters, or any major cathedral in Europe took decades to build, with no limit to the budget except what could be pumped in; people starting them would never see them finished. Is it possible to do that today? To say, make the most impressive building you can, you'll never see it, and there's no limit in time or money?

[Whacker]

Will people continue to make magnificent structures? Such buildings as the Colosseum, St. Peters, or any major cathedral in Europe took decades to build, with no limit to the budget except what could be pumped in; people starting them would never see them finished. Is it possible to do that today? To say, make the most impressive building you can, you'll never see it, and there's no limit in time or money?

Of course there is.