The list is out and Asian nations are celebrating. Over the weekend, the seven top wonders of the natural world were declared and four of the winners grace the Asian continent.
According to the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a Swiss organization dedicated to identifying the globe’s most impressive sites, more than half of the final selections were chosen from the world’s largest continent. Among the provisional winners (final results will be tabulated by early 2012) were Jeju Island (Korea), the Underground River of Puerto Princesa (Philippines), Komodo National Park (Indonesia) and Halong Bay (Vietnam).
The underground river at Puerto Princesa, Philippines (Photo Courtesy of New7Wonders Foundation)
The process to identify these wonders has been lengthy. What began as a massive tally of 440 sites in over 200 nations was whittled down by a million votes to a manageable 77 top destinations. These were further vetted by a panel of experts to 28 sights, the creme de la creme of the natural world. Voting was then opened up to the global public and over a period of several months, results were gathered via text message, phone and social media.
But are these wonders truly deserving of the name? As with any list of “greats”, there’s plenty of room for argument and dissention. Lists are subjective, and this one is no different. How did the Grand Canyon NOT make the cut? What happened to the Great Barrier Reef? And who’s even heard of Jeju Island or the underground river in Puerto Princesa?
For some, it came down to marketing. “They lobbied long and hard in the Philippines,” shares a friend of mine who recently returned from a stint in the island nation. In Korea, the governor of Jeju himself spurred his residents to vote for their home. And in the end, it made the difference.
Yet those icons that missed the final cut will most likely not suffer a lack of interest. Tourists will continue to peer over the rim of the Grand Canyon every day, awed by the sheer size and beauty of this landform. Dedicated trekkers will still summit Kilimanjaro, eager to bag one of the world’s tallest peaks. For the relative unknowns on the list, however, this might just be the break they were hoping for. As Jeju’s governor stated after the ‘win’, “It’s a new chapter for the island’s tourism industry.” (Quote taken from the Korea Herald, November 13, 2011.)
Have you visited any of the world’s newest natural wonders?
Written By Mandy Bartok.
