我们要做点什么来应对通胀?

货币贬值（又称通货贬值），Devaluation,是货币升值的对称，是指单位货币所含有的价值或所代表的价值的下降，即单位货币价格下降货币贬值可以从不同角度来理解。

What does a climbing CPI mean to the common people? Prices going up, living costs mounting, cash devaluing and savings in the bank no longer accruing much interest.

According to a prediction by the magazine Capital Week, this month's CPI will still stay at a high level of 3.5 percent, without even a slight chance of flickering. So how can citizens keep the value of their assets from devaluation? It's become a hot topic in China. Well, many people nowadays choose to invest in the collection market.

Zhang Jilin is a stamp seller at the Madian Collection Market in Beijing.

"My stamp stall at the market has seen more visitors during the past three months and the sales volume has increased by three to five times. The stamps I collect these days have increased by one to three times in value."

Not only stamps, but almost all kinds of collection types including jade artworks, gold and silver coins, antiques, and calligraphy are all seeing a more prosperous market nowadays. Some special collections like walnuts, old music cassettes and even phone cards are all experiencing a booming trend.

The editor-in-chief of Collection Magazine Zhang Shaohua says the collection market has now extended into many other areas too.

"Many collection areas were not considered important before, but now the markets are expanding. For example, the bronze mirrors in the antique market are gaining some momentum these days. For anything you could find, you'll also find a group of people who love them, and you'll also find increasing value in it. Why? because it's a kind of waste to save your money in banks. Many people are picking up their own investment areas these days trying to slowing down the devaluation of their assets."

There is a popular saying online these days, "if you can't run faster than Liu Xiang, you have to run faster than the CPI". Many people say that we've welcomed in an age of minus interest rates, which means savings in banks are shrinking very fast. When the CPI surpassed 5 percent in July, 2007, the stock market and the real estate market skyrocketed. The ongoing real estate administrative policy also curbed many speculator's hot money infusing the market. Gold, Silver, Jade and all kinds of collections have become hotter than ever among investors.

Zhang Shaohua says collections especially art collections remain strong, with their ability to curb devaluation.

"Art works have a very strong effect in keeping and increasing value. A few months ago, people were talking about how their expectation of inflation was for it to grow and now it seems like everybody wants to do something to fight against inflation. They feel like they have to do something to financially manage their accounts and find something to invest in. Now China has more than 70 million investors in art work collections, quite a high number compared to other countries."

But experts remind potential investors that a wrong choice in collection types could lead to disastrous results. Would-be collectors have to accumulate enough knowledge in a certain collection area before jumping into the market.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.