“Leading the Way” hanging decorations, “May the Horse Bring You Peace” pendants, “Longevity of the Horse” bracelets… As the Year of the Horse approaches, various zodiac-themed New Year gold products are hitting the market, becoming a hot spot in the current consumer market. It’s worth noting that this year’s New Year gold consumption is showing a new trend: beyond traditional New Year gift demands, New Year gold, which carries both cultural significance and emotional value, is being increasingly incorporated into asset allocation by families. Industry experts advise that New Year gold differs fundamentally from standard investment gold, and consumers should approach it from the perspective of long-term holding and asset allocation to avoid irrational investment.
As the New Year approaches, gold for the Year of the Horse becomes popular
As the 2026 Spring Festival approaches, the Year of the Horse gold coins for the New Year greetings are experiencing a peak in sales, with the sales enthusiasm extending from online to offline stores.
The picture shows the 2026 New Year gold and silver commemorative coins issued by the People’s Bank of China. Photographed by Li Xin, reporter
In fact, this wave of market enthusiasm has been evident since the second half of 2025. At that time, major banks took the lead in warming up the market, launching a series of products such as commemorative gold banknotes, gold coins, and investment gold bars. Taking Bank of China as an example, the bank launched multiple gold products centered around the Year of the Horse, including the Bingwu Horse Year Gold Bar, the “Chinese Horse Excellence” series, and the “Fortune Gold” series of prosperity and well-being. The head of the relevant team in the Personal Finance Department of Bank of China Beijing Branch revealed to the reporter of Economic Information Daily that the number of people who had made reservations for some popular products had exceeded the supply quota by more than ten times.
Brand gold shops are also simultaneously launching special New Year gold ornaments. Li Gen, chief jewelry designer of Caibai Jewelry, introduced that while continuing the classic series such as “Hug” and “Duo Duo”, Caibai Jewelry also launched fashionable zodiac designs incorporating the electro-black gold craftsmanship this year to meet the needs of trendy consumer groups. In addition, the “Fortune Comes Soon” gold lucky beads and “Leading the Way” gold hanging ornaments jointly launched by Caibai Jewelry and the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall this year have also been popular among consumers.
The relevant person in charge of China Jewelry revealed that the company released the Lunar New Year gold series for the Year of the Horse in early September last year. The product line includes the “Horse Blessing” pendant and “Horse Hoof Gold” pendant, which embody the meaning of protection and exquisite structure, as well as products targeted at young people such as the “Horse Length” bracelet and the cute Tang horse of the “Horse Comes” series. Chow Tai Fook also collaborated with artist Han Meilin to launch limited-edition bracelets and necklaces for the Year of the Horse, featuring movable structures that bring the zodiac horse to life, further expanding the fun of wearing Lunar New Year gold jewelry.
The popularity of offline sales terminals is more intuitive. Employees from several gold shops have reported that sales of gold ornaments featuring the Chinese zodiac sign of the Year of the Horse have significantly increased compared to the same period last year, with some stores seeing an increase of about 30%.
Recently, a reporter’s visit revealed that consumers are continuously flocking to several branded gold shops to purchase the Year of the Horse New Year gold bullion. Some popular counters even saw customers lining up. From the perspective of the consumer groups in the store, in addition to the traditional middle-aged and elderly customers, the younger group has gradually become the main consumer force. A post-90s customer who was selecting the Year of the Horse lucky beads said that such products not only carry auspicious meanings associated with the zodiac but also have designs that align with modern aesthetics, making them suitable for daily wear.
From bank reservations to in-store sales, from zodiac gold bars to cultural and creative gold jewelry, the popularity of gold products for the Year of the Horse is spreading from specific areas to the wider market, becoming a distinctive feature in the pre-holiday consumer market.
Value accumulation: Why is New Year gold favored
In response to the market boom sparked by the Year of the Horse gold bullion, Zhang Xiaoxi, a researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that on the one hand, the lunar zodiac cycle forms a unique cycle in China’s consumer market. The horse holds auspicious meanings in traditional culture, such as career advancement and academic progress, making the Year of the Horse gold bullion a medium for conveying blessings. On the other hand, the value-preserving effect of gold has been strengthened amid the current high gold prices, further stimulating consumers’ demand for allocation.
A senior gold analyst, who declined to be named, further analyzed that against the backdrop of macroeconomic fluctuations and lingering market uncertainty, gold’s safe-haven attribute has significantly increased, driving market demand for gold-related assets. In addition, compared to ordinary gold bars, Lunar New Year gold bars not only retain the traditional function of gold as a hedge, but also add an emotional premium to the product through the theme of Chinese zodiac culture. This dual attribute makes them particularly resilient in the market.
The market’s demand for the combined value of New Year gold products has driven systematic innovation in products on the supply side. Reporters have learned that some companies are currently exploring from two main dimensions: cultural narratives and emotional value, enabling New Year gold products to carry richer modern expressions.
At the cultural narrative level, Li Gen explained that this year, Caibai Jewelry has taken Xu Beihong’s masterpiece “Six Steeds” as the design blueprint, and modeled it after the most agile and swift steed among the six, transforming it into the “Leading the Way” pendant, endowing the product with the beautiful symbolism of taking the lead and guiding. The relevant person in charge of China Jewelry also stated that the “May the Horse Bless You with Safety” pendant launched this year contains a statue of the Bodhisattva of Great Momentum, with the ingenious idea of “pulling to reveal the Bodhisattva”. By combining cultural depth with interactive experience, the product’s attractiveness and emotional attachment have been greatly enhanced.
In terms of creating emotional value, China Jewelry has launched the “Ma Changchang” series, cleverly using homophones to express sentiments such as “long salary without long overtime”, accurately capturing the emotional appeals of contemporary people. Caibai Jewelry has also introduced the “Get Rich Quickly” bracelet. Although the product weighs less than one gram, its expressiveness is enhanced by thoughtful packaging design. When the side of the gift box is pulled open, the image on the box dynamically transitions from the character “福” (blessing) to the “Get Rich Quickly” pattern, balancing the aesthetic appeal of wearing and the ceremonial feeling of gift-giving, making it suitable for personal use or gift-giving in various scenarios.
The market enthusiasm for the Lunar New Year gold bullion keeps rising, driven by a deep resonance of multiple value logics. As Zhang Xiaoxi said, its appeal has transcended traditional consumption categories, exhibiting consumption characteristics that highly integrate cultural connotation, emotional connection, and financial attributes.
Under the heat, consumers should make rational allocation
Amid the sustained popularity of Chinese zodiac-themed New Year gold bullion, which many consumers view as an investment option, industry insiders advise that amidst the hype, it is even more important to remain clear-headed and clearly distinguish the fundamental differences between New Year gold bullion and standard investment gold.
Zhang Xiaoxi stated that the price of Lunar New Year gold typically includes craftsmanship, design, and brand premium, which are difficult to recover in the secondary market. At the same time, most banks do not directly provide buy-back services for Lunar New Year gold. Product liquidation often needs to be completed through gold and silver jewelry stores or second-hand channels, which involves relatively complex procedures and a certain discount space. Therefore, consumers should not simply equate Lunar New Year gold with standard investment gold.
