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)

To the woman presented a flower in Sevastopol, Ukraine, on March 8, 2013. Activists presented this day on the street free 155 tulips to women. The police tried to arrest activists for illegal trade as couldn't believe in free distribution of flowers. (Photo by Sergey Anashkevitch)

A Panasonic Toughpad is displayed during a press event at The Venetian for the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) January 9, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs from January 10-13 and is expected to feature 2,700 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 140,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

'Military woman' is a constantly updated gallery of images of women wearing uniform: military, police and so on. We truly hope that our beloved visitors won't remain passive and will take part in this project making it even more interesting! Note that all the images featured in the gallery are taken from publically available sources: their copyright belongs to their respective creators and the trade mark to the owners. ...

Moto Stunts International put on a display showing a motorcycle riding through fire, on August 24, 2023 in West Bay, Dorset. The Melplash Agricultural Society Show, held in West Dorset, is a prominent agricultural exhibition in the South West region. Besides providing a platform for trade, visitors can also witness animal judging and gain valuable insights into food production and farming practices. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

A camel performs during a “dance competition” held during the Pushkar Camel Fair in Pushkar, in the western state of Rajasthan, on November 5, 2019. Thousands of livestock traders from the region come to the traditional camel fair where livestock, mainly camels, are traded. The annual camel and livestock fair is one of the world's largest camel fairs. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/AFP Photo)

Traders lay out their stools in a fishing village of Long Hai commune in Vung Tau province, Vietnam on June 17, 2020 with the market opening at midnight and trading into the early hours of the morning each day. It is the largest wholesale fishing market in the region and market traders can be seen sorting their fish into their different types before putting them into different coloured boxes for sale. (Photo by Pham Huy Trung/Solent News)

Attendees visit the Ford booth during Auto China 2018 show held in Beijing, China, Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Auto China 2018, the industry's biggest sales event this year, is overshadowed by mounting trade tensions between Beijing and U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese goods including automobiles in a dispute over technology policy. (Photo by Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)