How these Wonders were selected
While the Seven Wonders of the World have been chosen, no one has claimed what the wonders in Asia would be. While most can list off the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal as being noteworthy, there are many good locations that are overlooked. That is the purpose of the following list: to choose the lesser known, but by no means insignificant, wonders of this region of the world. Additionally, these locations have been ranked according to Ease of Travel, Preservation of Natural State and Uniqueness to aid travel to these areas.
#1 Bali Island, Indonesia:
Description: Home to the majority of the Hindu population in Indonesia, this island has a vivid, rich history starting from 5,000 years ago. In addition to the rich history, the island is known for skilled wood carving, metalworking, and Balinese gamelan music (music using xylophones, drums, gongs, bamboo flutes and stringed instruments). To top off the man-made arts, the island is known for clear white sand beaches, clear skies and diverse wildlife.
Description: Home to the majority of the Hindu population in Indonesia, this island has a vivid, rich history starting from 5,000 years ago. In addition to the rich history, the island is known for skilled wood carving, metalworking, and Balinese gamelan music (music using xylophones, drums, gongs, bamboo flutes and stringed instruments). To top off the man-made arts, the island is known for clear white sand beaches, clear skies and diverse wildlife.Ease of Travel: High. It is one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia.
Preservation of Natural State: High. To be sure, many dancing or wearing more traditional garb for show. Still, the fact that Bali’s main industry is tourism helps explain why the local government takes pain to maintain culture and wildlife for future generations of tourists.
Preservation of Natural State: High. To be sure, many dancing or wearing more traditional garb for show. Still, the fact that Bali’s main industry is tourism helps explain why the local government takes pain to maintain culture and wildlife for future generations of tourists.
Uniqueness: High. While Hindu or Galean music, to name a few, are aspects not unique to Bali, their combination is unique. Nowhere else can you see the melding together of Hindu and Buddhist influences, combined with the Bali sights and traditions unique to the island.
#2 Ha Long Bay, Veitnam:
Description: Located 165 km from Hanoi, this bay on the northern Coast of Vietnam is dotted with thousand of limestone islands near the coast. The waters are known for being especially calm and the water is very clear during the spring and early summer months. According to the Vietnamese, this bay is considered ‘the eighth wonder of the world.” In addition to boating around these islands, some sandy beaches make swimming a possibility. Further, some of the 1,969 islands on the 120 km coastline have large caves. On other islands are floating villages of fishermen.
Description: Located 165 km from Hanoi, this bay on the northern Coast of Vietnam is dotted with thousand of limestone islands near the coast. The waters are known for being especially calm and the water is very clear during the spring and early summer months. According to the Vietnamese, this bay is considered ‘the eighth wonder of the world.” In addition to boating around these islands, some sandy beaches make swimming a possibility. Further, some of the 1,969 islands on the 120 km coastline have large caves. On other islands are floating villages of fishermen. Ease of Travel: high. This is a huge tourist destination and so travel is quite easy.
Preserved in Natural State: Medium. The area is not perfectly preserved as tourists are given more freedom to do what they want, which occasionally comes at the expense of the environment.
Uniqueness: Medium. While there are limestone islands on the coast of Thaliand as well, the fact that over 1,000 islands are located in one place makes this area unique.
#3 Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines:
Description: Breathtaking layered rice fields, or terraces, were built into the side of a mountain over 2,000 years ago. The terrace levels rise several thousand feet, thus leading some to claim the region as one of the eighth wonders of the world. Sadly, drought and low economic incentives are causing some farmers to leave the terraces, allowing some parts to decay.
Description: Breathtaking layered rice fields, or terraces, were built into the side of a mountain over 2,000 years ago. The terrace levels rise several thousand feet, thus leading some to claim the region as one of the eighth wonders of the world. Sadly, drought and low economic incentives are causing some farmers to leave the terraces, allowing some parts to decay. Ease of Travel: Medium. Transportation to the top of the terraces is not easy, but the area is quite well traveled so one can easily find a tour to the top.
Natural State: Medium-low. Currently a good place to see, however, the future looks bleak as farmers are leaving the fields and many terraces are decaying.
Uniqueness: High. Terraced rice fields are all over Asia, but the sheer size and historical significance of the Banaue rice terraces is what makes it special.
#4 Potala Palace, Tibet.
Description: A huge palace built up from the city of Lhasa. The palace has a history of more than a thousand years. The current palace was built in the 1600s and required over 7,000 workers to complete. The place is currently the largest building in Tibet. Also noteworthy is the fact that unlike thousands of temples and cultural artifacts destroyed by the Red Guards during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, this palace remained intact and preserved. The sheer size of the Palace is impressive: 130,000 square meters, an especially noteworthy accomplishment considering the difficulty of transportation in the mountainous areas of Tibet.
Description: A huge palace built up from the city of Lhasa. The palace has a history of more than a thousand years. The current palace was built in the 1600s and required over 7,000 workers to complete. The place is currently the largest building in Tibet. Also noteworthy is the fact that unlike thousands of temples and cultural artifacts destroyed by the Red Guards during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, this palace remained intact and preserved. The sheer size of the Palace is impressive: 130,000 square meters, an especially noteworthy accomplishment considering the difficulty of transportation in the mountainous areas of Tibet. Ease of Travel: low. Altitude sickness and visa problems are common for travelers going to Tibet.
Natural State: High. The palace is quite well preserved.
Uniqueness: high. The fact that the palace was built at such an altitude coupled with the singular Tibetan belief system makes this palace one-of-a-kind.
#5 Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
Description: Located on Central Java, this monument was created around 800 AD and is a Buddhist Mahayana temple used for pilgrimage. The monument is large with three layers, over 2,600 relief panels and five hundred statues of Buddha. The monument, as great as it is, fell into disuse when Islam arrived on the island and was only rediscovered four hundred years later by a British explorer. This period of disuse leaves a bit of a mystery, however, since there is no written record attesting who built this monument or why it was created. The monument has been preserved with the help of several restorations and is currently a UNESCO historical heritage site and the most visited spot in Indonesia.
Description: Located on Central Java, this monument was created around 800 AD and is a Buddhist Mahayana temple used for pilgrimage. The monument is large with three layers, over 2,600 relief panels and five hundred statues of Buddha. The monument, as great as it is, fell into disuse when Islam arrived on the island and was only rediscovered four hundred years later by a British explorer. This period of disuse leaves a bit of a mystery, however, since there is no written record attesting who built this monument or why it was created. The monument has been preserved with the help of several restorations and is currently a UNESCO historical heritage site and the most visited spot in Indonesia. Ease of Travel: High. With high numbers of tourists, transportation and tours are readily available to take others to see this monument.
Natural State: With the UNESCO and careful renovations, the site is in quite good condition.
Uniqueness: While not the only Buddhist temple in the area, the sheer size and mystery behind its creation give this temple an added advantage to interested tourists.
#6 Bagan Pagodas and Temples:
Description: From the mid 11th to 13th centuries a community of over 300,000 people lived in the middle of modern Burma. There, they built over 10,000 pagodas and temples. Today, more than 2,000 of them still exist. Bagan, an area of 16 square miles, was the capital of the First Burmese Empire from about 1000 to 1200 A.D.
Description: From the mid 11th to 13th centuries a community of over 300,000 people lived in the middle of modern Burma. There, they built over 10,000 pagodas and temples. Today, more than 2,000 of them still exist. Bagan, an area of 16 square miles, was the capital of the First Burmese Empire from about 1000 to 1200 A.D. Ease of Travel: Medium. Tours are possible, but the military government doesn’t make the country as safe or easy to travel. An efficient, national road system is lacking.
Natural State: Low. UNESCO tried to designate this area as a world historical site, but was prevented by the military government. Instead, the government has been rebuilding some of the traditional temples, ignoring traditional styles and using modern equipment and materials. Also, a golf course, highway and tower are built amid the ruins.
Uniqueness: Medium. Once again, Buddhist temples are not new to this region. However, the sheer number of temples and pagodas sets Bagan apart from other temple areas in Southeast Asia.
#7 Karst Peaks of YangShuo:
Description: Have you ever seen a Chinese traditional painting where the mountains are practically vertical? The inspiration for those unrealistic-looking peaks is Guilin, an area in Southern China where dissolved rock has allowed the formation of very steep, vegetation covered hills and small mountains. I have traveled to Yang Shuo myself and was amazed at the rich culture and breathtaking green hills. To top it off, the area has a notable cave that takes over four hours to climb through: it was used to house local residents during the Japanese occupation during the WWII era. Ease of Travel: High. Transportation to and from the area is quite convenient.
Naural State: Medium. Yangshuo is fairly well preserved, although the Chinese tourist agencies often create man-made structures for ease of tourist, thus decreasing natural beauty.
Uniqueness: Medium. The peaks are common in that region of China, although the combination of cave and Chinese culture set YangShuo apart from other places in China.
