China's Zhang Ziyi most 'Googled' person in Taiwan

(AFP PHOTO / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT)

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi topped Google Taiwan's list of most searched for celebrities, the company said Thursday, after revealing photographs of her on a beach caused a web sensation.

Zhang, the star of hit movies such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Hero," also ranked second and fourth in Google Taiwan's fast-rising searches and most searched words, respectively, it said.

Zhang was the talk of the web when photos of her with boyfriend Vivi Nevo vacationing on a beach in the Caribbean were plastered across the Internet earlier this year.

Topping Google Taiwan's list of fast-rising searches was "Happy Farm," a popular game by social networking website Facebook which even prompted the island's government to ban civil servants from playing during work hours.

"Facebook" was the second most searched word on the island after "Internet-ATM," boosted by various on-line donations drives following the deadly Typhoon Morakot in August, it said.