The charm of man-made marvels
The new seven wonders of the world beat 14 other nominated landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Parthenon and the Statue of Liberty . Here are some interesting facts about the new wonders: THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA Originally built in the 5th century BC, the Great Wall of China went through incessant repairs throughout the succeeding ages. It became a single long wall only during the Qin dynasty, when Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his efforts to join the walls together in order to fend off the invading Hun tribes. The Great Wall stretches 6,700 km from the east to the west of China. THE TAJ MAHAL, INDIA The architectural beauty of the Taj Mahal is acknowledged to be unsurpassed in perfection. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum of Shah Jahan himself was later added to it. The Taj is built entirely with white marble, and was constructed over a period of 22 years, employing over 20,000 labourer...