It’s almost a wrap for both 2019 and the decade. With zeitgeists, moods and attitudes seemingly shifting drastically on a year-by-year basis, a good way to get an idea of what was on people’s minds over the course of a year is by delving into their Google search history – within reason, of course. People in the US were going crazy for Baby Yoda, Area 51, Kevin Hart, Old Town Road, Game of Thrones and were also keen to find out just where exactly Sri Lanka is. While over the straight in China they weren’t Googling much… but on Baidu, Avengers: Endgame, the basketball world cup, the Notre Dame fire and Beijing’s new Daxing Airport were dominating people’s thoughts.
But what about Taiwan? What were people up and down the island searching for in 2019? We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting and popular Google searches from Taiwan in 2019.
Top Searches
我們與惡的距離 (The World Between Us)
Hit award-winning Taiwanese TV drama starring the likes of Alyssa Chia and James Wen, The World Between Us had people searching furiously for information, gossip and more. Winner of Best Television Series at 2019’s Golden Bell Awards, the ten-episode drama also received international recognition, being nominated for Best Mini-series at the Seoul International Drama Awards. Here’s the official trailer with English subtitles.
颱風 (Typhoon)
Luckily, we weren’t rocked by any huge typhoons this year, but this didn’t stop people Googling perspective storms and weather patterns. We assume partly to see if they need to stock up on provisions, but mainly to see if they get a day off work… (Read more: Dressing for the weather in Taiwan)
世界12強棒球賽 (WBSC Premier 12)
Group B of the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier 12 competition (featuring the world’s top 12 baseball-playing nations) was hosted in Taichung and Taoyuan with Taiwan’s national team, playing under the guise of Chinese Taipei, going up against Japan, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Taiwan placed second behind eventual champions Japan to qualify for the Super Round, eventually finishing the tournament in fifth place. Two Taiwanese players made the All-World Team; Chang Yi taking the pitcher’s spot and Wang Wei-chen as third base. (Read Also: Eight Taiwan Sporting Events Serious Athletes Need to Know About)
Top News Searches
世界12強棒球賽 (WBSC Premier 12)
The Taiwanese love baseball, what more can we say? While they didn’t do as well as they’d have liked, they did beat eventual runners-up South Korea 7-0 in the Super Round. Check out the highlights of the unforgettable game.
香港反送中 (Hong Kong issues)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have noticed things have been getting pretty heated over in Hong Kong this year. We don’t need to explain the reasons behind this to you, but will say that Hong Kong has received a lot of support from people here in Taiwan, as for some, the problems are hitting a little close to home.
長榮罷工 (EVA Air strike)
Back in June, EVA Air staff went on strike, citing issues regarding pay, overtime and long working hours. The strike lasted 17 days before an agreement was made on July 6, with staff officially returning to work on July 10. We imagine most of these Google searches were more about delayed flights than workers’ rights…
Top movie searches
小丑 (Joker)
Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker was a hit across the world and here in Taiwan was no different. People were Googling the latest DC smash to find screening times, locations and also presumably for inspiration for that perfect, if not unoriginal, Halloween costume.
復仇者聯盟：終局之戰 (Avengers: Endgame)
Probably as expected, the latest installment from Marvel’s Avengers universe was also super popular in Taiwan. It’s safe to say, people here love Marvel 3,000. No, we’re not crying, you are!
返校 (Detention)
Psychological horror flick Detention is set during 1962’s White Terror period (the suppression of political dissidents following the 228 massacre) and is an adaptation of Red Candle Games’ video game of the same name. Particularly popular amongst the young Taiwanese demographic, the film reminds people of the dark events of the past and just how precious the concept of democracy is. Here’s the sneak peek with English subtitles.
