(Reuters) - Twenty-four-year-old Xin Wenting stays up until one o'clock on most days, looking after her gold investment during the ebb and flow of global trade.
Many small investors in China have turned to gold as high inflation threatens to erode wealth in the world's second-largest economy, leading to small gold exchanges springing up all over the country.
The influx of retail investors promises to not only boost Chinese gold demand, but also increase its volatility.
"I wanted to invest my savings, because otherwise the money would just be idling around. Some friends were doing gold, and the stock market wasn't looking promising, so I jumped on the bandwagon," Xin said.
Investment choices for small players are limited, and the new exchanges are filling this niche.
"Many existing institutions target their investment products to the rich," said Lu Mingde, who is in charge of the marketing department of the Zhejiang Gold and Silver Products Market.
"If you are a small investor, you could only put your money in the stock market. But we are happy to serve these clients."
Read more at REUTERS
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