The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended down 8.55 points to 3,287.71 on turnover of 328.4 billion yuan ($50.4 billion), after tumbling as much as 3.24 percent during the day.
The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, dropped 1.86 percent, or 39.39 points, to 2,079.77 on turnover of 483.1 billion yuan, after plunging 5.37 percent earlier.