Baidu Reveals Hottest Topics of 2019 in Annual Buzz List

BEIJING, Dec. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) on Monday published the "Baidu Buzz List 2019", a big data review showing the top 10 most searched and viewed topics of the year in 13 different categories, including "Keywords", "Films", "Events", and "Technology", reflecting the trends, issues, people, and moments that captivated Chinese internet users in 2019.

According to data from Baidu's search and feed, "The 70^th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China" was the most popular phrase in several categories, including "Keywords", "Events", "Hot Topics", and "National Pride". Achievements in science and technology also featured prominently in the "National Pride" category, including China's landing of the Chang'e-4 space probe on the far side of the moon; Tu Youyou's breakthroughs in artemisinin research for treating malaria; and the opening of Beijing's Daxing International Airport, the capital's new mega-airport. Yuan Longping, the scientist who first developed hybrid rice, topped the "People" category, with Tu Youyou ranked second. AI was the top ranked phrase in the "Technology" category, as cutting-edge artificial intelligence applications are being rolled out across Chinese society and industries. With 5G commercialization also underway in China, 5G was the second most popular technology phrase.                                                                                                  

The report also provides a window into the numerous cultural touchpoints for internet users in 2019. "The Wandering Earth", a science fiction blockbuster about a quest to find a new star system for planet Earth, ranked first in the "Films" category, which included eight Chinese and two foreign productions. "My People, My Country", a seven-part anthology film about contemporary Chinese history, ranked second. Top place in the "TV Series" category went to "The Story of Ming Lan", a drama set in the Song Dynasty that chronicles a woman's life from childhood to adulthood. Actor-singer Xiao Zhan ranked first in the "Celebrities" category.

The "Buzzwords" category reflects the ironic defeatism of "Sang" culture, with top ranked phrases including "996" (9am-9pm, 6 days per week work schedule), "Wo Tai Nan Le" (my life is so hard), and "She Chu" (corporate slave). It also captures a more optimistic view on life, as phrases like "Bu Wang Chu Xin" (never forget why you start), "Duan She Li" (minimalist living), and "Hao Hai Yo" (feel so high) made the list.

China's national sports teams and athletes also generated significant attention from internet users. China's women's volleyball team, which won a repeat title at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup, was among the most popular phrases in "Hot Topics" and "Keywords", and the team's coach, Lang Ping, was the third most popular person. The women's volleyball title, along with swimmer Sun Yang's fourth straight world title in the 400m freestyle and sprinter Su Bingtian's 60m time of 6.47 seconds, appeared in the "National Pride" list. The early elimination of China's men's basketball team from the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup -- which was hosted by China -- ranked fourth in the "Events" category.

Baidu is the world's largest Chinese search engine and China's largest information and knowledge platform. The average number of daily search queries for Baidu's knowledge content has reached 1.54 billion, as revealed at the Baidu Knowledge Summit 2019. Moreover, the company announced at Baidu World 2018 that Baidu newsfeed makes an average of 15 billion daily recommendations of content. Drawing on the company's data in search and feed, the "Baidu Buzz List 2019" showcases the topics that mattered to Chinese internet users in the past year.

About Baidu

Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. Baidu aims to make the complicated world simpler for users and enterprises through technology. Baidu's ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "BIDU." Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share.

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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.