Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

 

Golden fears

"I'll take all of them!" No! This isn't the command of a customer shopping for a big dinner at a produce stand. This person is buying up gold. The recent drop in precious metals prices, especially gold prices, has created a veritable gold rush in Hong Kong. Thanks to the throngs of mainland customers, a number of gold stores in Hong Kong have sold out of this soft metal within a few minutes of opening their doors. While Hongkongers have decried the presence of "locusts," or tourists from the Chinese mainland, many who live in Shenzhen and have easier access to the island are also complaining about the large crowds, noting that people's enthusiasm for gold has even resulted in injuries. While mainlanders make up the majority of those with gold fever, when the dust settles, are Hongkongers likely to feel that their share of the gold has been snatched away?