Chinese shares fell Wednesday to end a three-day winning streak with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closing down 0.54 percent, or 15.66 points, at 2,911.41 points.
The Shenzhen Component Index declined 0.75 percent, or 97.25 points, to finish at 12,829.36.
Turnover fell to 274.41 billion yuan (41.22 billion U.S. dollars) from 284.51 billion yuan the previous trading day.
Losers outnumbered winners 566 to 321 in Shanghai and 794 to 395 in Shenzhen.
Leading the broader market down, shares of cement producers fell after profit-takers emerged following the sector's strong gains Tuesday.
Fujian Cement Inc. fell 1.46 percent to 8.75 yuan after jumping by the 10-percent daily limit Tuesday. Shanghai-listed Huaxin Cement Co., Ltd. dropped 4.41 percent to 30.57 yuan.
Hotel and tourism-related stocks dipped. China International Travel Service Corp. Ltd. lost 4.35 percent to close at 35.00 yuan while China CYTS Tours Holding Co., Ltd. fell 1.71 percent to 15.49 yuan.
Bucking the trend, coal producer shares rose after the nation's meteorological authorities said many parts of the nation have been hit by cold weather since Monday.
The temperature at 3 p.m. in the Chinese capital, Beijing, was minus 4.2 degrees Celsius and it is expected to sink below minus 10 degrees overnight.
China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., the nation's largest coal producer, rose 1.33 percent to 25.19 yuan while Gansu Jingyuan Coal Industry and Electricity Power Co., Ltd. jumped 4.94 percent to 22.10 yuan.