Go against the grain to reap investment dividends

At this time one year ago, the Chinese mainland's stock market was experiencing the final stage, or the crazy part, of its heyday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was hovering above 4,900 points on its way to reach the skies. Investors were talking about how many more months the bull would keep running.

The confidence stemmed from supportive government policies and the seemingly unlimited liquidity available in the market, as reflected in the explosive increase in the value of margin trading.