MK socks East China's Shandong Province, on July 29, 2024. The price of gold ornaments stood at 705 yuan ($97.1) per gram on the day. In the first half of the year, affected by a strong rise in gold prices, China's gold consumption totaled 523.753 tons, down 5.61 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the China Gold Association. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-05-27/59765995-0c5a-49c6-84c3-0a3df037146d.jpeg" />An employee of a gold shop displays gold ornaments in Qingzhou, East China's Shandong Province, on July 29, 2024. The price of gold ornaments stood at 705 yuan ($97.1) per gram on the day. In the first half of the year, affected by a strong rise in gold prices, China's gold consumption totaled 523.753 tons, down 5.61 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the China Gold Association. Photo: VCG