BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Housing prices in 70 of China's large and medium-sized cities rose 2 percent in August 2009 compared to the same month in the previous year, as the country's economy improved, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics Thursday.

    The prices advanced 0.9 percent from July, when housing prices rose 1.0 percent from the same month in the previous year.

    Prices of new houses in August rose 1.5 percent from the same month last year, and 1.1 percent from July. The growth rate was 1.2 percentage points higher than in July.

    Housing prices in certain cities, including Ningbo in the east,and Yinchuan and Xining in the northwest, rose more quickly than in other cities. August prices in the three named cities rose respectively 7.4 percent, 6.8 percent, and 4.9 percent from the same month last year.

    In August, prices of second-hand houses in the 70 cities rose 3.6 percent compared to the same month in the previous year, and 0.6 percent from July.