22 February 2008
At 12am on February 20 (Hanoi time), Ha Long Bay was ranked first on the New 7 Wonders of Nature Nominees Ranking while the second and third position belonged to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Baza Beach and Sundarbans Forest.
The other two contenders from Vietnam were listed in the top five, namely Fansipan Mountain and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Fansipan rose to fifth while Phong Nha – Ke Bang maintained its position at fourth.
Voting online for nominees will continue through December 31. Then, a panel of experts will create a list of 21 candidates from which voters worldwide will elect the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
The New 7 Wonders Panel of Experts, under the leadership of Prof. Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, will select the 21 Finalists from the top-ranked Official Supported Nominees. The 21 finalists will then be put to popular vote.
The top seven sites today:
1. Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay
2. Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Beach
3. Bangladesh and India’s Sundarbans Forest
4. Vietnam’s Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
5. Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain
6. Costa Rica’s Cocos Island
7. Bangladesh, India’s Ganges River
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