BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed higher Tuesday, lifted by strong performance by financial heavyweights.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.22 percent to close at 3,388.25 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.29 percent higher at 11,339.13 points.
Combined turnover on the two bourses rose to 407.15 billion yuan (around 61.4 billion U.S. dollars), from 383.7 billion yuan the previous trading day.
The ChiNext Index, which tracks China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.15 percent to close at 1,901.69 points.
Companies in the financial industry were among the biggest winners, with banking, securities, and insurance shares rising across the board.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country's largest lender by market value, gained 0.65 percent.
Real estate shares also outperformed the market, with leading developer China Vanke up 4.13 percent.
Earlier data showed that China's property market continued to cool as home prices faltered or posted slower growth in major cities amid tough policies to curb speculation.
While analysts expect that authorities will maintain the housing controls in the short term, they see the rapid development of the housing rental market as growth opportunities for major developers.
