Two China sites rank among world's top engineering projects.

The Great Wall at Simatai

Two places in China are on a list of the world's top 25 greatest engineering feats: the Great Wall and Shanghai World Financial Center.

The list, compiled by CNN, places the Great Wall in third position. Stretching 5,500 miles across northern China from Jiayuguan in the west to Shanhaiguan in the east where it ends at the Bohai Sea, the Great Wall is undoubtedly one of early man's greatest engineering feats. it is a feat that would be almost impossible to duplicate today because of governmental regulations, including environmental impact statements.  The CNN article names Badaling as the best site to visit, primarily because it is the easiest to get to. It is also the most crowded, though there are ways of avoiding the crowds.

Something new that I learned about the Great Wall from the article is that the mortar holding the bricks together is made from rice flour.

No. 15 on the list is the Shanghai World Financial Center, a trapezoid-shaped building that is 101 stories high. It was the tallest building in China when it was completed in 2008. It is nicknamed "the bottle opener" because that's what it looks like due to a hole in the top that cuts down on wind.

Other places on the list include the International Space Station, the London subway system, Hoover Dam and the Panama Canal.