Some are in it just for the money, others to help buy a meal. Then there are those who trade for fun or to spend time among friends. Millions of investors – pensioners, security guards, high-school students – dominate China's stock markets, conducting about 80 percent of all trades. Retirees gather in brokerage houses dotted around China also to enjoy some company and savour the air conditioning on hot days. Some start as young as 13, trading from home with an eye on future careers in finance. Winning isn't guaranteed. This year, among the most turbulent in China's financial history, its stock markets more than doubled in the six months to May, only to crash amid concerns that growth in the country, which makes everything from cars to steel, is slowing faster than previously thought. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

Mayu adjusts Koiku’s kimono, as Koiku wears a protective face mask while posing for a photograph, before they work at a party where they will entertain with other geisha at Japanese luxury restaurant Asada in Tokyo, Japan, June 23, 2020. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Soldiers march during a military parade commemorating the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Nicaragua's army, in Managua, Nicaragua September 3, 2016. (Photo by Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters)

Supporters of Filipino boxer and Senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao, wait for election souvenirs thrown by Pacquiao during election campaigning in Malabon Metro Manila in the Philippines May 6, 2016. Boxing star Manny Pacquiao pressed on with his campaign for a seat in the Philippine Senate despite a reported militant plot to kidnap him. (Photo by Erik De Castro/Reuters)

Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, presents the Playstation Vita at the Sony Playstation media briefing on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on June 6, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. More than 45,000 people are expected to attend the annual three-day convention to see the latest games and announcements from the gaming industry. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

An unmanned Antares rocket is seen exploding seconds after lift off from a commercial launch pad in this still image from video shot by Matthew Travis of Zero-G News from the press area at Wallops Island, Virginia October 28, 2014. The 14-story rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolted off its seaside launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility at 6:22 p.m. EDT/22:22 GMT. It burst into flames moments later, then plunged to the ground in a huge ball of fire and smoke, but authorities said no one was hurt. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. (Photo by Matthew Travis/Reuters/Zero-G News)

Just a week before Rio de Janeiro hosts South America's first Olympics, city residents expressed mixed feelings about the cost and security of the Games, while holding out hope they will bring joy to a nation facing economic and political crises. The conflicted thoughts mirror a recent survey by the Datafolha polling group showing that half of Brazilians were opposed to holding the Games, while 63 percent think the costs of hosting the event will outweigh benefits. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)