1. Talent show of the year — “The Voice of China”

    Part of a franchise that originated in Holland, “The Voice of China” has taken the country by storm since it was first aired on Zhejiang Satellite Television during the summer vacation. On the night of Sept. 30, Mid-Autumn Day, the show’s final had the highest ratings of any television show that night, much higher than those of CCTV’s Mid-Autumn Day gala, while the number of microblog posts about the program reached 52 million.

    2. Documentary of the year — “A Bite of China”

    A seven-episode documentary, “A Bite of China,” was first aired on CCTV-1 without fanfare at midnight in May. It presented sophisticated high-definition images of delicious traditional Chinese cuisine to hungry night owls and turned into a hot topic on microblogs. The success of the documentary, which started shooting in March, also helped the food industry, with many viewers stocking up on ingredients before the show was aired.

    3. Drama of the year — “The Legend of Zhen Huan”

    There were many popular dramas on Chinese television this year, but none can compare with the popularity of “The Legend of Zhen Huan.”

    This 76-episode drama, adapted from a popular e-book of the same name, tells the story of the concubines of an emperor. It attracted audiences of different genders and ages with its backstabbing, love triangles and outstanding performances.

    Many audiences are also addicted to characters’ unique lines and “Zhen Huan style” became a popular catchphrase among netizens.

    4. Catchphrase of the year —

    “Yuanfang, what do you think?”

    A line that was frequently repeated in drama “Detective Di Renjie,” was this year’s hottest catchphrase ahead of “Zhen Huan style.”

    In the drama, every time a case reached its climax, Di would ask his assistant, Li Yuanfang, the question with the same tone and facial expression.

    It was said that netizens used the phrase both to have fun and to get what they wanted.

    5. Dance of the year — “Gangnam Style”

    Since PSY’s “Gangnam Style” was released Jul. 15, the South Korean pop song has become a global phenomenon. Just 76 days after it was released, it had been viewed more than 300 million times on YouTube, becoming the website’s “most popular music video of all time.” PSY is now one of the most sought-after stars of major Chinese TV stations for the Chinese New Year galas.

    6. “Breakup” of the year — The separation of Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping

    After 16 years of close cooperation, China’s top director Zhang Yimou finally “broke up” with producer Zhang Weiping, who had been his friend and business partner for years. According to rumors their separation was over money, power and a woman.

    7. Overseas movie of the year — “Life of Pi”

    Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” is the hottest movie of this year’s Christmas-New Year movie season. More than 60,000 netizens gave it high ratings on douban.com, the most popular movie rating website in China.

    Many audiences were impressed by its high technology, moving story and complex philosophy.

    8. Domestic movie of the year — “Beijing Blues”

    “Beijing Blues” which stars more than 30 Internet celebrities on Sina Weibo is the most controversial movie of 2012.

    Although it failed at the box office, it was widely discussed and received several top awards in China, such as three Golden Horse Awards and Best Director at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

    9. Dark horse of the year — “Lost in Thailand”

    “Lost in Thailand” was the biggest dark horse in the film industry this year. The low-budget comedy with a simple story made more than 300 million yuan (US$48.1 million) at the box office in the first week of its release.

    The success of the movie shows that it doesn’t require big stars, directors or high technology to make a smash hit.

    10. Death of the year — Whitney Houston

    The sudden death of U.S. singer Whitney Houston drew wide attention among Chinese netizens. Her biggest hit “I Will Always Love You” is one of the best-known foreign songs in China. Many Chinese shed tears and took to the Internet to write tributes after hearing the news of her death.

    (Wang Yuanyuan, Zhao Ziqiao)