Beijing and Zurich, 5 July 2023
On Friday, July 7, the Great Wall of China will unveil the “Wonder Marker,” the official symbol created by the New7Wonders Foundation (N7W) to honour the seven most remarkable historic sites on earth.
The unveiling will take place at Huangyaguan Great Wall, Tianjin Province, one of the most spectacular and renown Great Wall sites that lies east of Beijing. Organised in conjunction with N7W, the ceremony officially honours the Great Wall of China as a “World Wonder,” one of the seven such landmark sites chosen by over 100 million voters in a global public selection process held by the N7W Foundation.
This event symbolically links the Great Wall of China to the six other New7Wonders of the World – Chichen Itza (Mexico), the Roman Colosseum (Italy), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Petra (Jordan), and the Taj Mahal (India).
Great Wall Ceremony Held on “7 Wonders Day”
Notably, this official ceremony is being held on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, the annual date on which the New7Wonders organisation celebrates “7 Wonders Day” following the results of the global public vote held by N7W that were first announced on 7 July 2007.
Standing 3 metres high, the Wonder Marker will be installed at a permanent place along the Huangyaguan Great Wall, one of the most famous sections of the wall found in Tianjin Province.
The Wonder Marker ceremony is further recognition of the lasting impact of 2007’s first-ever global vote to select the New 7 Wonders of the World, a campaign organised by the Zurich-based New 7 Wonders Foundation. The unveiling of the official Wonder Marker also marks the 16th anniversary of the original proclamation of the New 7 Wonders of the World that was made on 7/7/7 by Bernard Weber, Founder of N7W and the man who conceived the idea of bringing together millions of people from around the world to recognise the world’s most iconic “wonders.”
Weber believes that the ceremony is an important reminder of human creativity and peaceful collaboration: “This is a moment whereby we can stop, think, and help unite the world by recognising our shared global cultural heritage,” said Weber.
“It was during the World Expo 2020 in Dubai that I introduced the initial series of Wonder Markers at various national pavillions. China now becomes the first nation to install the permanent N7W Marker that connects the Great Wall to the six other Wonders across our planet. I salute China for taking the initiative to launch our concept of uniting the world.”
His comments are echoed by Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of N7W, who will preside at the unveiling: “The Wonder Marker pays tribute to the fundamental place that the Great Wall of China occupies as one of the New7Wonders of the World and which stands as an extraordinary symbol of human achievement. Today we take note of how history is made and we are happy that China has now recognised the Wonder Marker as a symbol of global cooperation.”
Finally, Han Guowei, Director of The International Department of the China Great Wall Society, expressed his appreciation of the honour: “As the organisation that coordinated the successful campaign for the Great Wall to be chosen, this is a proud and historic moment for us and for China, and we are honoured to be hosting this at the Huangyaguan Great Wall.”
The Wonder Marker is a permanent icon, standing over 3 metres tall, and is shaped like an online map marker. Six separate signs not only point in the precise direction of each of the other six World Wonders, but also indicate their respective distances. The striking and unique design of the Wonder Marker serves as a landmark for all visitors to include as part of their itinerary while touring the Huangyaguan Great Wall.
The unveiling will take place simultaneously with the creation of a stunning 77-metre-long work of art by renowned Chinese artist Xia Pengcheng that integrates three of the most important elements of Chinese culture: the Great Wall, ink, and calligraphy.
The event has been initiated, planned, co-organized, and implemented by the New7Wonders authorized agency in China and by the New Seven Wonders (Beijing) Technology and Culture Co., LTD.
For further information please contact: com@n7w.com