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| China likely to beat India | | Great Wall close to title of true wonder | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, JULY 6: A thought-provoking message from Geneva: The Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome and Peru's Machu Picchu are leading contenders to be among the new seven wonders of the world. The winners will be anounced on Saturday, July 7.
A massive poll is drawing to a close with votes already cast by more than 90 million people, according to organizers in Geneva. As the Friday midnight voting deadline approaches, the rankings can still change. Also in the top 10 are Greece's Acropolis, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, Easter Island, Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer, the Taj Mahal (of India) and Jordan's Petra.
The Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, are assured of keeping their status in addition to the new arrivals after indignant Egyptian officials said that it was a disgrace they had to compete for a spot.
In the final round of 20 candidates for the world's top architectural marvels, people from every country in the world have voted by the Internet or phone, says the non-profit organization conducting the balloting. "It is so exciting", Tia B. Viering, spokeswoman for the New Seven Wonders of the World campaign, was quoted as saying. "There are not many things that could bring the world together like global culture. This is all about bringing people together, to appreciate each other, to celebrate diversity".
The Colosseum, the Great Wall, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and Petra have been among the leaders since January, while the Acropolis and the Statue of Christ the Redeemer made their way up from the middle of the field to the top level, according to latest tallies. The United States' Statue of Liberty and Australia's Sydney Opera House have been sitting in the bottom 10 since the start.
Also in the bottom group are Cambodia's Angkor, Spain's Alhambra, Turkey's Hagia Sophia, Japan's Kiyomizu Temple, Russia's Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral, Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, Britain's Stonehenge and Mali's Timbuktu.
The ancient city of Petra in Jordan-- popularized in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and famous for its water tunnels and stone structures carved in rock-- jumped from the middle of the pack to the top seven in January.
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