Iron Bridge Gorge

The Iron Bridge across England's longest river,the severn,is the world first iron bridge.At one time,the surrounding area was a remarkable concentration of industrial activity.Today the area under the bridge and on both sides known as the Ironbridge Gorge,is a world heritage site,in recognition of its outstanding importance in the early development of industrialisation.The Iron Bridge was built in 1779 and was opened on New Year's day in 1781.It is a testimony of the first large-scale use of iron for structural purposes in the world and a remarkable demonstration of the utility and versatility of iron for construction.With a span of 30 metres,the graceful semi-circular arch reached across the gorge of the Severn at its narrowest point.The Iron Bridge was not only a singular example of new engineering but also a tremendous success.Its symbolic significance was great,not only in Britain but throughout Europe and the United States.
Proper international fame and recognition came with the designation of the Gorge and the bridge as a world Heritage Site in 1986.It is the first industrial area to be listed as a World Heritage Site.

London Underground

An underground is an electrically operated underground railroad.Its first construction was first stimulated in the 19th century.The world first underground was the brainchild of Charles Person,solicitor of the cityof London.The first phase between Farrington to Paddington was begun in 1860 and completed in 1863.The construction was done in the cut-and-cover method.An areached brick structure was first constructed in an open trench and then earth was backfilled over it.The lo9comotive power for the train being supplied by steam,the underground then had a sulphurous atmosphere.In spite of that,the subway attracted about 10 million pessengers in its first year of operation.Its primary success encoureged additional construction in 1886.Instead of the old cut-and-cover method,this time a new construction device was used.James Henry Greathead developed a steel made cylindrical tube which could be forced forward into the ground by means of hydraulic jacks.This method made it possible to dig tunnels deep enough not to disturb surface buildings and traffic.The depth of the tunnels then necessitated the installation of lifts at the stations.Electrification of the lines made it possible.Later on.lift were replaced by escalators.With the use of electricity,great expansion took place and by the early 1970s London had 102 miles of underground lines,the second largest in the world.The largest underground (or subway as it is called there)is now in New York.The increasing automobile congestion in metropolitan cities has spurred the building of new underground or subway systems in other cities too.

Siberian Railway

The 4,607-mile long Trans Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world.It runs across Siberia, a vast Asian part of Russia,from Chelyabinsk in the Ural mountains to Vladivostok on the pacific coast.Although studies of projects of the railway date from the mid-19th century,its construction was actually began in the Czarist regime in 1891 and it was opened for use in 1905.The construction of the railroad encountered enormous problems including wide rivers ,steep grades around Lake Baikal,permafrost in Eastern Siberia,extrems of temperature and political turmoil.But all obstacles yielded to human endeavour.Thirty-eight tunnels were cut through the mountains along the shores of Lake Baikal and the all-Russian route,which was completed by 1971,covered a total distance of 5,973 miles from Leningrad to vladivostok.Modernisation of the railway followed in the 1930s.It was originally a single track was laid later and electrification was undertaken soon after.This vast railway was a major element in the settlement of Siberia at the turn of the 20th century.It si a vital artery linking outlying Siberian industrial regions and mining centres with the core economic area of European Russia.

Great wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the largest defence fortification and the greatest building enterprise ever undertaken by man.About 1500 miles long,this unique wall stretches from the Gulf of Chihli of the Yellow sea along the northern frontier of China to Kansu province in the west.The width of this wall varies from 15 to 40 feet at the base,and from 12 to 35 feet at the summit.Its height ranges from 20 to 50 feet.It is the only structure on the earth that can be identified from the moon.
Walled frontires between the kingdoms in China date from at least the 4th century BC.In the 3rd century BC,the first emperor of "Ch'in",after uniting China,linked up the existing walls and built new sections to creat the Great Wall as a continuous unit.His purpose was to defend China from the Hunes on the north.Watch towers and garrison stations were set at regular intervals in order to send singles and guard the bulwark.The wall was constructed in such a way that troops summoned by beacon fire could be quickly transported along its top.
The wall was built mostly of rubble,although the western sections are of tamped earth and important passes are of brick or masonry.The wall was frequently modified in later centuries with new facilities of high towers.Before that,extensive repaires and extensions were mad at various periods,notably during the Ming dynasty.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower is a 19th century located on the Paris.It is the most recognizabale structures in the world.

Statue of Liberty

Located on a 12 acres island the statue of liberty enlightening the world was a gift of friendship from the people of france.

The Taj Mahal

It has been over three hundred years since Emperor Shah Jahan of Delhi built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife in Agra.Architecturally,it is still one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.The building is made of fine white marble with inlays of coloured marble.It has eight sides and many open arches.It rests on a platform or terrace of red sandstone.Four slender white towers rise from the corners of the terrace.There is a large dome above the centre of the building.Around this large dome there are four smaller domes.Just inside the outer walls,there is an open corridor from which visitors can look through carved marble screens into a central room.The bodies of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz lie in two graves below this room.
The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautiful garden and there is a long pool that stretches out in front of the building.One can see the beauty of the Taj Mahal in its reflection in the pool water.Visitors come to see this wonderful building at different times of the day since it assumes a different look at different times.Most people like it best on moonlight nights.