From Olympic glory to local films: Google unveils HK's top searches in 2024

As we near the end of 2024, Google’s Year in Search has revealed the most trending topics that captivated Hong Kong throughout the year, including "US Elections", Gen Z terms such as "SLDPK", and Olympic medalist Vivian Kong. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Google’s presence in Hong Kong, with Google Search having been with Hongkongers for more than 25 years.  

Every year, the most popular keywords reflect the pulse of the times and trigger heated discussions, reflecting the ever-changing society; however, no matter what’s trending, Google Search remains a tool Hongkongers look to for help with everything from staying entertained, to learning a language, to making plans for a trip. 

According to Google, this year's Top Trending Keywords reflect the diverse interests of the city, from major global events such as the "US Elections", “The UEFA European Football Championship” and “Olympic Games” to local hit movies such as "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” and “The Last Dance”. 

When Hongkongers see things they don’t understand — such as foreign terms or Gen Z slang — they turn to Google Search to learn more. Six out of ten of top trending slangs are popular phrases among Gen Z: “SLDPK”, “Playing badminton”, “APT”, “Demure”, “M3”, “I Person”. 

Local news searches were topped by “Messi” with his visit, which caused a stir across the city. Hongkongers also demonstrated a strong interest in social issues, with searches about “Angelman Syndrome” surging after a local celebrity couple bravely shared their son's diagnosis to raise awareness.  

The "Municipal Solid Waste Charging" policy and the closure of local businesses, including long-established brands such as "Liu Ma Kee" and "Physical Fitness”, also fueled searches. 

While keeping a close eye on local news, Hong Kong stayed on top of global affairs. Globally, the "US Elections" and natural disasters in neighboring regions dominated news searches, with the viral dance crazes “APT.” and “Ke Mu San” also trending. 

As Hong Kong athletes made their mark on the world stage again; “Vivian Kong Man Wai”, our first gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, not only ranked fifth Top Trending Keyword, but also topping the trending local people and athletes lists. Two other Olympic medalists, “Edgar Cheung Ka Long” and “Siobhan Bernadette Haughey”, respectively claimed the second and third spots on both lists. 

Leading the local celebrity rankings, “Terrance Lau Chun Him”, who has garnered a significant fanbase, released several critically acclaimed TV series and movies in both Hong Kong and Taiwan this year including him playing Shin in Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. “Philip Ng Wan Lung” and “Raymond Lam”, who also starred in the same movie, ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.

Globally, Chinese athletes and US election candidates drew significant attention. The top three Trending Global Celebrities this year were “Taylor Swift”, “Coldplay” and “ILLIT”, who have made significant waves in the international music scene. Also on the list are South Korean actors “Kim Ji-won” and “Kim Soo-hyun”, known as the "Kim Couple-on-screen" in a drama series. Notably, Kim Soo-hyun made a comeback to the list after nine years. 

On the other hand, Gen AI tools led the tech trends, showcasing the growing influence of AI in everyday life. Social media platforms remained a hot topic, with the rise of "Threads" and the nostalgic farewell to "ICQ" capturing attention. The “CrowdStrike” outage in July, which affected users worldwide, was listed across top trending local news, global news and tech news. 

This year also saw a shift in how Hongkongers search for recipes. Instead of searching by ingredients, they're increasingly inspired by cooking shows such as "Culinary Class Wars", seeking to recreate dishes seen on screen. Searches for weather in outbound destinations reveal a growing interest in mainland China, with “Shenzhen” topping the list. Gadget-wise, new smartphone models and wearable devices remain popular. 

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