Only instruments easy to start within mainland China: A-shares, mutual funds and ETFs, bonds and convertibles, public REITs, gold, plus the account system and trading costs — what you can buy before how to buy it.
Part 1 of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: the full panorama of what individual investors in mainland China can legally and easily start with — cash management, bonds, stocks, mutual funds, REITs, gold, and private pension accounts, plus the entry threshold and the personality of each asset class.
Part 2 of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: the differences and opening thresholds of the four A-share boards (Main Board / ChiNext / STAR Market / Beijing Stock Exchange), what T+1, price limits, and round lots really mean, the market-cap allotment rules for IPO subscription, and the rule pitfalls beginners step into most often.
Part 3 of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: money market, bond, equity, hybrid, index, and QDII funds sorted out in one go; the essential difference and fee chasm between exchange-traded (ETF/LOF) and over-the-counter funds; how to choose between A and C share classes; and why ETFs are the protagonist of what follows in this series.
Part 4 of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: how to buy savings and book-entry treasury bonds, the rules of government bond reverse repo and its high-yield windows before holidays, and the distinctly Chinese convertible bond — T+0, a floor below and upside above, zero-cost IPO subscription, plus its opening threshold and forced-redemption risk.
Part 5 of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: the rent-collecting logic of public REITs, the mandatory-dividend clause, and secondary-market discounts and premiums; the four ways to buy gold in mainland China (gold ETF, gold accumulation plans, physical bars, gold stocks) with their respective costs and pitfalls; and the real role of these two asset classes in a portfolio.
Part 6 of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: what a brokerage account can actually buy, the structure of the unified investor ID and third-party fund custody, a full breakdown of commission / stamp duty / transfer fees / handling fees, a quick reference for over-the-counter fund fees, and how to do the tax math on the private pension account.
Part 7 (finale) of the Mainland China Investable Universe series: a decision framework for choosing instruments by the time horizon of your money and your risk tolerance, a reference portfolio structure, the ten pitfalls beginners fall into most often, and a minimal action list for going from 'knowing what you can buy' to 'actually starting.'