More Chinese computer users asked the Web questions about blue
chips and stock index futures than anything else last year.
It seems that Chinese Web users are more practical than their
overseas counterparts. Among the most Googled questions
internationally beginning with "what" or "how" last year were "what
is love," "what is emotion," "how to kiss" and "how to
meditate."
Thanks to the nation's booming stock markets where the benchmark
index doubled in a year, Chinese users also asked questions
beginning with "how."
But here the most searched "how" questions were "how to invest
in stocks" and "how to buy funds," data released by Google China
yesterday revealed.
Of the "what" question searches, seven of the top 10 most
searched "whats" were for terms in the equity market, while half of
the most searched 10 "hows" were for ways to invest in the
market.
The results were based on Google's data as of December 20.
Overall, the most searched key word in China last year was QQ, the
name for the most popular instant message program in the
country.
Apple Inc's iPhone was the top search subject
internationally.
This is the first time Google has released this data in China so
there are no comparative figures. Twelve lists were compiled
covering most popular searches for news, people and entertainment
events.
Searches for the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of
China ranked the largest growth of a search of any news event
in China on Google.
Chen Xiaoxu, the late leading actress for the classic TV series
"A Dream of Red Mansions," scored the most queries for an
entertainment figure.
The nude pictures of Jessica Shi Jing, the former employee of a
well-known home appliance maker, were regarded as the most
disreputable site on the Web.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" was the most searched
for overseas movie, while "Lust, Caution" ranked No.1 in Chinese
movies.
The diseases that cause most concern in China - according to Web
searches - are diabetes and AIDS.
(Shanghai Daily January 2, 2008)
