Statues of Easter Island (10th - 16th Century) Easter Island, Chile
When I was young I saw the Statues of Easter Island first on TV. How mysterious and miraculous they are! I was attracted by their huge volume and strange faces. Perhaps, they are erected by God or by intelligent extraterrestrial life. They are facing to sea and expecting something happened. Nowadays, nobody knows why this statues are established what they stand for. According to a legend, the islanders who erected the statues may have believed that those would capture the chiefs' "mana" (supernatural powers). They may have believed that by concentrating mana on the island good things would result, e.g., rain would fall and crops would grow.

The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China
I voted the Great Wall of China, because not only am I a Chinese, but also it is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. As the old Chinese proverb goes, you're not a real man if you haven't climbed the Great Wall. I have been to the Great Wall twice. It was very long with uncountable steps, and constructed on the ridge of mountain. It was almost incredible for everyone to cover the whole Great Wall. It was also a miracle in architectural history. Architects and archeologist did not know how people established the Great wall over 2000 years ago without any big electrically powered machine. The Great Wall was build for military defense, so a lot of heroes’ stories and legends are about it. It can prove perseverance and persistence of Chinese.


The Acropolis of Athens (450 - 330 B.C.) Athens, Greece
I choose the Acropolis of Athens, because it reminds me the democracy in Greek 2000 years ago. I have never been to Greek, but I knew the Acropolis of Athens was the most famous architectural landmarks of ancient and modern history in my text book as in middle high school. I admire the ancient Greek, because it was also the origin of civilization and democracy.

The Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy
I choose the Roman Colosseum because the roman gladiators and its design concept. I saw it in many movies. The brave slave gladiators fought with wild animals, yet they are only the joy of the noblemen. They set an example to human being due to their courage and persistence. Furthermore, it is not a design concept that can imprint irresistibly in every modern sports stadium any more except the Roman Colosseum.

The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India
I choose the Taj Mahal in that it is the most romantic and wonderful architecture which I have ever seen.It is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. However, I was attracted by not only its design but also the love story. Although the Emperor had a lot of wives, he was only enamored by his second wife and established the Taj Mahal to honor the memory of his beloved wife.

Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan
After a careful consideration, I decide to vote for Petra. The most important reason is that it is a great symbol of engineering and protection. As we know, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Because Petra was located at the edge of the Arabian Desert, it was necessary for Nabataeans to create and develop advanced water technology it was necessary for Nabataeans to create and develop advanced water technology for the survival and prosperity of their city. As a result, Nabataeans became masters of water technology and provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. Water is very vital to human society and it becomes increasingly important today because of the increasingly large population in the world Therefore, today everyone should have an awareness of protecting and utilizing water in a proper way, which is made possible by advanced water technology. So many people may be aware of the importance of water resources and related technologies if Petra, an ancient city full of water technology and human intelligence, is selected as a new wonder. That is why I vote for Petra.

The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
I choose the Pyramid at Chichen Itza which was a symbol of Maya civilization. Although the Maya civilization have disappeared, no one can deny it had ever been brilliant and beyond any civilizations. According to some researches, Maya Legislation can be maintained until after 4 billion years, and they had their own character, they had wonderful sculpture, painting and bronze. What a amazing culture they had! Why the culture fade away confused scholars today! I voted it because it symbolized the brightness and hardworking of ancient people.