Angkor Wat Tops the World's Top

▲Cambodia’s Angkor Wat was named the champion of the 2015 Lonely Planet top 500 must-visit ultimate attractions. The photo shows the Banteay Srei temple of Angkor Wat. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The travel magazine "Lonely Planet" selected the top 500 must-visit ultimate attractions in the world for 2015, with Cambodia's Angkor Wat ranking first. Taiwan has two attractions on the list: the National Palace Museum at No. 397 and Taipei 101 at No. 448.

Lonely Planet announced this year’s top 500 must-visit ultimate attractions around the globe and compiled them into a book for sale. These attractions all have global recognition. Ranking first is Cambodia's Angkor Wat, followed by Australia's Great Barrier Reef in second place. Peru's Machu Picchu, China's Great Wall, and India's Taj Mahal rank third to fifth respectively.

The 6th to 10th spots are also renowned travel destinations from various countries, including the Grand Canyon National Park in the United States, the Colosseum in Italy, Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, the Alhambra in Spain, and the Hagia Sophia in Turkey.

The 11th to 20th positions include Morocco's Fes El Bali, Australia’s Twelve Apostles, Jordan’s Petra, Guatemala’s Tikal, the British Museum in the UK, the Sagrada Família in Spain, New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park, Greece’s Santorini, Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, and Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art.

▲Taiwan’s National Palace Museum has also been selected as one of the world’s top 500 attractions. (Photo / Screenshot from Wikipedia)

Taiwan has only two attractions on the list this time: the National Palace Museum at No. 397 and Taipei 101 at No. 448. Lonely Planet pointed out that the National Palace Museum houses some of the finest Chinese artworks, such as Ming dynasty ceramics, many ancient paintings, and scrolls. These artifacts were brought to Taiwan by Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang during the civil war. While almost everyone agrees that these relics would likely have been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution had they remained in mainland China, the National Palace Museum is a must-visit destination for travelers interested in Chinese culture and history.

▲Taipei’s iconic Taipei 101 building is one of only two Taiwanese attractions on the list. (Photo / Screenshot from Wikipedia)

Regarding Taipei 101, Lonely Planet describes it as standing tall like a bamboo shoot in the Taipei skyline. Although Taipei 101 is only 508 meters high and is no longer the tallest building in the world, once you’re on the 89th-floor observation deck, none of that matters. The prominence of Taipei 101 stands out compared to nearby skyscrapers, much like Saruman’s tower in the movie “The Lord of the Rings.” (Source: Central News Agency)