The other day I stumbled across a TikTok video by a travel creator arguing that Christ the Redeemer in Brazil doesn’t belong on the list of the New 7 Wonders of the World. And that video sent me down a rabbit hole.
Christ the Redeemer is a 30-metre-tall art deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue is perched on top of Corcovado Mountain, overlooking the city. The landmark took about 9 years to build, and was completed in 1931. It was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa with French sculptor Paul Landowski creating the statue’s head and hands.
In seeing these videos, I realized I hadn’t thought about the 7 wonders in years. I do remember visiting the Colosseum at 19 and thinking, “wow, this is my first world wonder.” But that’s the last time I recall thinking about it.
What Are the Seven World Wonders?
The list of the New 7 Wonders of the World is a set of globally famous landmarks. The list was announced in 2007 after a global poll organized by a private foundation. Hundreds of millions of people voted online and by phone, until a final list of 7 sites were chosen.
To be honest, I couldn’t have named the 7 New World Wonders without having searched it. In case you need the refresher too, the current New 7 Wonders of the World are:
- The Great Wall of China
- Petra (Jordan)
- Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)
- Machu Picchu (Peru)
- Chichen Itza (Mexico)
- The Colosseum (Italy)
- The Taj Mahal (India)
At first glance, it’s a solid list. But once you start digging, it raises questions: What exactly is a world wonder? Who decides? What are the criteria? Do all of these landmarks deserve the title?
How the New 7 Wonders of the World Were Chosen
The campaign to choose the new world wonders was launched in the year 2000, by a private foundation called the New7Wonders Foundation. The final results were announced in 2007.
Here’s how the process of deciding the world wonders worked:
- Nomination stage: More than 200 monuments were nominated from around the world.
- Finalists: A panel of experts, led by former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor, narrowed the list down to 21 finalists.
- Voting: The public voted online, by phone, and by text message. Around 100 million votes were cast worldwide.
- Final 7: The seven sites with the most votes became the official “New 7 Wonders of the World.”
What’s notable about this process is that there wasn’t a strict set of cultural or historical criteria. There was no expert panel, no standardized criteria. It was more so about popularity and global recognition than cultural or architectural importance.
UNESCO actually distanced itself from the project, saying it wasn’t an official initiative and didn’t follow their evaluation process for World Heritage Sites.
The final list reflects what the general public felt most inspired by, and which countries and communities had strong voting campaigns. For example, Brazil ran a huge national campaign to promote Christ the Redeemer, which helped it secure a spot.
The Problems With the New World Wonders List
On that note, let’s return to Christ the Redeemer.
I haven’t visited Christ the Redeemer, but I’ve seen photos and videos of it. Does it look beautiful and majestic? Yes! But many people on TikTok don’t think that’s enough for it to be included on the list of world wonders.
Christ the Redeemer is not the tallest statue of Jesus in the world. Compared to the other sites on the list, which are all ancient or centuries-old, it feels… recent. And while it’s obviously a significant symbol for Brazil, it’s a modern religious statue, not a pre-industrial feat of engineering like the Great Wall of China or Petra.
It’s also religiously symbolic, and some people feel that religious symbols like Christ the Redeemer shouldn’t be included on the list. Whereas landmarks that have a religious use, like a temple, can be included on the list because they also often have historical context.
And, there are folks who argue that Christ the Redeemer likely made the cut thanks to a huge national voting campaign, not because of its global historical weight.
When I went down the rabbit hole of thinking about whether or not Christ the Redeemer belongs on the list of world wonders, I got stuck on a few things.
My first thought was that there should be actual criteria for the list.
Perhaps these landmarks should all be pre-industrially built, for example. And maybe instead of a public vote, historians should decide on the list. But then I worry about bias! I also wonder, is 7 enough? Why 7? I could name many more landmarks that I would want to include in the list.
Ultimately, I think there shouldn’t be a list of world wonders.
It’s impossible to do every landmark justice. There are just too many culturally and historically important places in the world to narrow it down to just seven. Like, what about the temples of Bagan in Myanmar, or the Pyramids of Giza (fun fact, Egypt backed out of the voting when they created this list in 2007!).
Bias will always shape lists like this, whether it’s influenced by global visibility, voting campaigns, or cultural popularity. For example, very few people I talk to know about Lalibela in Ethiopia.
Lalibela is home to 11 rock-hewn churches that were carved from solid volcanic rock in the 12th and 13th centuries, built as a symbolic “New Jerusalem” for Ethiopian Christians. It’s an important site for its remarkable medieval engineering, deep religious significance, and continuous use as a place of worship for over 800 years.
People often have less travel knowledge about African countries because mainstream tourism marketing and media coverage often position the continent as dangerous.
This oversimplifies a huge and diverse continent into a single, negative stereotype. It not only discourages the pros of tourism, which can support local economies and cultural exchange, but also ignores the reality that safety varies by region, just like anywhere else in the world.
Limited (and negative) representation reinforces stereotypes and leaves many travelers unaware of incredible historic cultural sites like Lalibela.
My last concern is that a list of world wonders gamifies travel, turning it into a race to “collect” landmarks rather than a chance to engage with them in a deeper, more meaningful way.
The List of World Wonders Inspires Travel
It can’t be denied that the list of the New 7 Wonders of the World list is fun and inspiring. I think what’s important to emphasize, though, is that it’s not definitive. This list is mostly a reflection of global enthusiasm and awareness at that particular moment in time, the early 2000s.
Despite it’s problems, the list creates an inroad for people to learn about landmarks they otherwise may have never come across… which is a good thing. What matters is how we approach these sites when we visit them: with curiosity, respect, and an understanding that they hold deep meaning for the communities who live alongside them.
If you enjoyed this blog, you’ll love my newsletter, as well as my Facebook group. You’re welcome to join these communities – would love to see you there!
Want to travel in a way that’s better for people and the planet? Here are some guides to get you started:
- Learn the main tips for being a responsible tourist.
- Use sustainable tourism tips to travel eco-consciously.
- Travel to places that aren’t facing overtourism to reduce your impact.
- Practice second city tourism when you do want to visit more popular places.
- Be aware of cultural appropriation and avoid it.
- Support Indigenous communities when you travel.
