Nobody was surprised when the Great Wall of China made the new collection of the Seven Wonders of the World. The honor, bestowed last month, was just another snippet to color the awestruck tales of globetrotters relating their own encounters on China's best-known tourist attraction.

Besides the fact that it's the largest man-made monument ever built, talk of the Great Wall usually turns to the debate over whether it can be seen from space. This theory has simmered since astronauts landed on the lunar surface, debunking the earlier myth that the Wall could be seen from the Moon.

Many continued to argue that it was the only man-made object vi

sible from space, and the issue came to a head when China's own astronaut Yang Liwei said he couldn't see it. But with subsequent photos taken from space that showed the historic structure, the impressive claim still has legs.

Then, there are the young men who tell of their post-Badaling personal transformation, in line with Chairman Mao's illustrious words: "Only if you have climbed the Great Wall will you become a real man."

But, if you are from Australia, such musings rate a distant second to the pressing question of whether the wall climber saw any rabbits.

It was a genius advertising campaign for Australia's largest Internet provider that weaved its way into the public lexicon.

First launched in 2005, the TV commercial featured a young blond boy who is working on a school project while seated in a car driven by his father.

"Dad. Why did they build the Great Wall of China?" says the little boy.

There is a pause while his clueless father stumbles for an answer. "That, that was, during the time of the Emperor Nasi Goreng," he says.

"And, ah, it was to keep the rabbits out. Too many rabbits, in China."

The ad then cuts to the kid in school uniform, about to burst with pride as he stands before his class.

"OK. Now Daniel will do his talk on China," says his teacher.

The Telstra BigPond ad was wildly successful, and made a reluctant star of the TV father, who before then had made his living as a postman.

His words have become the first thing that springs to mind when Aussies talk about heading off to explore the Middle Kingdom.

And on the Great Wall itself, local tour guides have become accustomed to good-natured quizzing from Australian visitors about the amazing structure's re-written history, featuring bunnies.

And now doing the rounds is a happy snap of five friends from Down Under, smiling as they pose in front of a battlement on a restored section of the Great Wall.

They are holding a large, cardboard sign on which the TV dad's now infamous words to his son are printed in bold, black letters.

Contact the author at viva_goldner@yahoo.com.au

(China Daily 08/16/2007 page15)