Demand for gold in China attracts buyers to major jewelry hub

In a huge multi-story shopping center, shoppers jostle for space among endless rows of glass display cases shimmering under the bright lights. The space buzzes with excitement as shoppers peruse bracelets, rings, necklaces and other finely crafted treasures.

Welcome to Shuibei in Shenzhen, a former fishing village in southern China that has become the epicenter of the country’s insatiable appetite for gold and a street-level barometer of the economic and market forces influencing demand. More than 10,000 businesses are concentrated in a few city blocks, a labyrinth of wealth that ranks among the largest gold retail markets in the world.