The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.94 percent, or 33.70 points, to 3,539.18, gaining 9.41 percent in the past 12 months.
The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, dropped 1.80 percent, or 42.44 points, to 2,308.91 -- surging 63.15 percent during the year, making it one of the world's best performing markets.