The soaring price of gold, driven in part by Chinese demand, has spurred unconventional investing, particularly for young buyers like Xena Lin. As traditional investment options like real estate and stocks have faltered in China, gold has become more appealing. This has led to increased consumer demand and central bank purchases, causing a significant impact on global gold markets. Online merchants are aggressively promoting gold "beans" as a trendy and accessible way to invest in the precious metal. The rise in gold's value, combined with economic uncertainties, continues to attract both retail and central bank buyers in China, solidifying the country's dominance in the gold market.