The wonder of you! Four down, three to go, as lure of Great Wall looms large

As soon as I knew I was going to work in Beijing, one of the first things I did was look to see just how close I would be living to any part of the Great Wall of China.

After all, it is one of the most iconic landmarks on the planet, an architectural masterpiece that is testament to China's rich history and culture, an incredible structure that follows the natural contours of the terrain, dating back as far as the 7th century BC and officially stretching more than 21,000 kilometers.

So, it is no surprise the Great Wall was named one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World "when a Swiss man named Bernard Weber, a former filmmaker and aviator, organized a worldwide public poll that attracted more than 100 million votes on what man-made monuments deserved such an accolade.

I say "new", even though the results were announced in 2007, and of course, the final choices caused much controversy from a shortlist of 21, particularly from Egypt, perhaps with some justification given the Pyramids of Giza, which were named in the original 2nd century Seven Wonders of the Ancient World list (and the only one on the planet still standing), did not make the final cut.

Those that did make it alongside the Great Wall of China were the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, the Inca ruins Machu Picchu in Peru's Andes Mountains, the 30-meter-high Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Chichen Itza, a ruined ancient Maya city in Mexico, the Roman Colosseum amphitheater in the Italian capital and the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum complex in Agra, northern India.

It is not totally surprising such a subjective list would cause such global disagreement. After all, there are hundreds of other sites, monuments or buildings that could stake a worthy case for inclusion.

However, there can be no argument against the Great Wall of China taking pride in its place on the coveted list, even if it is a myth this snaking defensive wall can be seen from space. It can, though, be viewed from low orbit, according to astronauts, when the Earth's pollution levels are low.

I've now visited the Great Wall four times in as many months (Gubei Water Town, Mutianyu and Badaling) and each location serves up views one can never tire of. But it was on my last trip that made me determined to visit all the "New Seven Wonders of the World".

I have already experienced the Red Rose City of Petra, where some of the blockbuster movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed, the imposing Roman Colosseum, where an estimated half a million people were killed during events (fortunately not during my visit) and Machu Picchu, an incredible place, despite having to be helped back to base by a donkey after a bout of sickness.

I have been fortunate enough to tick off four incredible places. Given the geography of the other three, I may just well make do with trips to the Great Wall for the foreseeable future. Ah well, it could be worse!