Chinese investors are reluctant to actively invest in risky assets because of perceived high volatility and put a much higher proportion of their assets in their primary residence, according to the results of a survey released on Monday.

The Manulife Investor Sentiment Index, which was conducted based on a survey that polled 3,500 respondents across Asia between late 2012 and early 2013, said Chinese investors are generally less optimistic about the immediate investment outlook compared to the overall Asian market.

The current pessimism about the immediate investment outlook is reflected in investors' preference in assets like fixed-income, gold and stable low-risk products such as insurance and annuities, according to the survey.

Chinese investors prefer to invest on their own with as little as 13 percent seeking advice from professionals.

The survey results indicate that Chinese investors' key financial priorities before their retirement are to support the education of their children. However, with China's rapidly aging population expected to place significant stress on the social pension system, Chinese investors should begin planning for retirement early if they wish to gain sufficient savings for healthcare costs and maintain their standard of living in retirement, said Liu Qingshan, general manager of Manulife-TEDA Fund Management.