2 Taiwan attractions listed among Google top 10 cultural landmarks in the world

2個台灣景點入選谷歌全球十大文化地標

Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park listed in top 10


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two popular attractions in Taipei were listed in the top 10 most-searched cultural landmarks in the world on Google Maps, while the search engine also revealed patterns with travel for Lunar New Year's (LNY) past and present.

On Tuesday (Jan. 17), Google released its list of trending searches in 2022. Under the category, Google Maps: Top cultural landmarks, Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall placed sixth, while the city's Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (SCCP) placed seventh.

In first place was Buckingham Palace, followed by Big Ben, the Great Pyramid of Giza, Christ the Redeemer, and the Royal Palace of Brussels, rounding out the top five. Trailing the SCCP was the Louvre Pyramid, Palais Ideal Hauterives, and Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Top searches for Lunar New Year 2022

In a press release, Google said during the 2022 LNY, the place people searched and planned routes through the most was the High-Speed Rail Taichung Station, and the most popular temple was Zhushan Zinan Temple in Nantou. The most searched-for meal on the map was breakfast.

The authors of the post observed that people's interests change during LNY. In 2022, coffee shops were the most searched places for eating and drinking on Google Maps, but dropped to No. 3 during the LNY, and breakfast replaced it as the most searched eating and drinking place on Google Maps. In addition, hot pot was the second most searched type of eatery during the LNY, while vegetarian food and brunch were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Visiting temples is on the itineraries for many Taiwanese during LNY. In 2022, the temple with the most people looking for routes and the most popular temple on Google Maps was Zinan Temple in Zhushan, Nantou, where the main god is the Lord of the Land (Tudi Gong). Also in the list of top 10 temples were Baishatun Gongtian Temple and Lukang Mazu Temple, dedicated to Mazu, as well as various temples dedicated to Guan Yu (關羽 and Guanyin (觀音), showing the diverse folk beliefs in Taiwan.

According to Google, during last year's LNY, Taiwanese searched for routes on Google Maps for Taichung High-Speed Rail Station and Taichung Railway Station the most. With the exception of Taoyuan Airport, which ranked fifth, most of the other places on the list were shopping malls or festival markets, which also highlights that Taiwanese are actively looking for places to buy new things and enjoy leisure activities during the break.

Top destinations for Lunar New Year 2023

According to Google Flights search rankings, Taiwan users are most interested in traveling to Japan during this year's LNY holiday, with Tokyo topping the list. Other Japanese destinations in the top 10 include Osaka, Sapporo, and Okinawa.

Other countries and cities high on the list include Seoul, South Korea; Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Singapore.