Going for the gold, with pleasure, in Beijing

Besides love, with its wealth of meanings, there are few words in the English language with as many powerful associations as gold.

From the gold standard to the golden rule; from a heart of gold to something being as "good as gold"; and from Olympians "going for gold" to retirees enjoying the "golden years", the precious metal has inspired a rich vocabulary through the ages.

China's reverence of gold, the color of good luck, wealth and imperial standing, stretches especially far back. But due in part to the recent anti-corruption campaign, the yellow metal seems to be walking a fine cultural/political line.