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CHINA'S got the Great Wall, India the Taj Mahal, and Singapore's got a building that looks like half a durian.
But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Singaporeans, when asked to name seven local wonders, beheld the Esplanade, in all its faux-fruity glory.
To the expected astonishment of those who derided the building's design when it was first unveiled in 2002, the Esplanade was a clear winner in a Sunday Times street poll.
It was named by 82 of about 300 people asked, trumping that other more conventional design coup - Changi Airport - which had 53 votes. Sentosa on 41 votes was next with the Merlion fourth on 38.
The Singapore River came in fifth (15 votes), with the generic category of food in sixth spot (12 votes). Tied for seventh place were the scenic spot Mount Faber and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (10 votes each).
The votes for MM Lee, who was picked by some for his founding role in Singapore, showed it wasn't only concrete and steel that made the Seven Wonders cut.
As for the Esplanade, wonder what many were thinking in plumping for it? Well, the building's unique architecture - you can say that again - and its striking appearance against the water backdrop made their mark on those polled.
Sales manager Vincent Ng, 30, said last week: 'The Esplanade is a Singapore icon. No one can visit the place and forget about it.'
As Esplanade chief executive Benson Puah said: 'It seems to have slowly etched itself into the community's collective consciousness.'
The more offbeat choices included aunties selling tissue paper at various coffee shops, Singlish, 'kiasuism', 4D-Toto betting outlets and Newater.
Undergraduate Han Xiuwen, 22, who plumped for Newater, said: 'We are probably the only country with branded recycled sewage.'
Additional reporting by Teh Shi Ning and Mavis Toh
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