Lucas Beaumont
(1) Times Square: A popular symbol of the United States and the New York City, the land where Times Square stands today once belonged to a man named John Morin Scott. It stretches from 42nd street West to the 47th street West in the city. Times Square was formerly known as Longacre Square. It was renamed when the New York Times moved its head office to the area in the year 1904. Times Square is famous today for the large number of neon lights billboards. It is also known around the world because of the party that is thrown at the eve of New Year each year. The cultural significance of Times Square is also something that can’t be ignored; it receives over 35 million tourists each year and it has been featured countless times in novels, movies etc.
(2) National Mall and Memorial Parks: It is a national park located in the downtown Washington DC, the capital of the United States. The park was added to the list of historical places of national importance in 1966. A French architect, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, made the first design of the park in 1791. Although his plans were never completely realised, he is still considered the person who designed the park. Today, it covers the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol and it receives over 25 million visitors a year.
(3) Disney World’s Magic Kingdom: This theme-cum-resort park or Walt Disney World Resort, as it is officially called, is run by the Walt Disney Company and it was opened on 1 October, 1971 and today is the most popular tourist destination in the American state of Florida. It is also the most visited of all theme parks in the world. The park lists 48 attractions in seven theme lands. The Magic Kingdom serves to about 16.6 million visitors a year.
(4) Trafalgar Square: This fourth most visited destination in the world was built in London when the British managed to defeat Napoleon and the British Navy alone won over the joint forces of Spanish and French navies. It was then that George Ledwell Taylor, an architect, suggested to the king the name the square Trafalgar Square. The Trafalgar Square is one of the most popular squares in the United Kingdom and it is managed by the Greater London Authority. Trafalgar Square receives over 15 million visitors a year.
(5) Disneyland Park, California: Owned by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, this theme park is located in Anaheim, California in the United States. It was formerly called only ‘Disneyland’ and was opened to the public on 18 July, 1955. What makes this Disneyland different from all other Disneylands in the world is that it is the sole Disneyland which was built under the supervision of Walt Disney himself. It is the second most-visited theme park in the world with an attendance of about 14.7 million tourists a year.
(6) Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls is a series of water falls which make two big sections: Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. These two sections are separated by a small island named Goat Island. Majority of the Horseshoe Falls under the jurisdiction of the Canadian government and the American Falls section is in the United States. The Niagara Falls were formed during the end of the last Ice Age. The Niagara Falls are appreciated all the world over for their beauty and it is also a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Around 14 million tourists come to see this natural beauty each year.
(7) Tokyo Disneyland: It was the first Disney Park to be built outside the United States when it opened on 15 April, 1985. The park is located in Urayasu, Chiba, in Japan and it is owned by The Oriental Land Company. The park features seven themed areas and it is the third most-visited Disneyland Park in the world. The World Bazaar, Adventure land, Western land, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Toontown and Tomorrow land are the seven themes and the park spreads over an area of 155 acres. The park attracts over 12 million visitors a year.
(8) Notre Dame de Paris: One of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, this was one of the first Gothic cathedrals. Notre Dame de Paris would translate into English as ‘our lady of Paris’. The building shows high influence of naturalism, which was not in vogue when the cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. The cathedral suffered damage during the French Revolution when the revolutionaries destroyed much of the religious imaginary. The authorities removed the pane glasses from the windows during the Second World War to protect them and although they were restored after the war, the restoration work is still going on. Around 12 million people come to see the cathedral each year.
(9) Disneyland, Paris: Also referred to as Euro Disney, it is the second most-visited location in the mainland Europe. The complex is 32 km from the centre of the capital Paris and compromises of an entertainment district, two theme parks, seven hotels and a retail area. Disneyland Paris was the first Disneyland to open in Europe and it was the second Disneyland outside the United States. Disneyland Paris was opened on 12 April, 1992 and it attracts around 10.3 million visitors a year.
(10) The Great Wall of China: This 8,850 km (app.) long marvel is the longest human made structure in the world. Most of the wall was built during the Ming Dynasty and the reason behind building the wall was to keep off the Mongolian invaders who were wreaking havoc on the Chinese economy but the constructing the wall proved out to be so expensive that when the construction was completed, the Chinese state went bankrupt. The wall attracts over 9.2 million visitors annually.
