File photo: Xinhua

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed higher Tuesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.51 percent to 3,295.68 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.93 percent higher at 13,143.46 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices shrank to 725.5 billion yuan (about 106.34 billion U.S. dollars) from 769.4 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Gainers outnumbered losers by 686 to 678 on the Shanghai bourse, while Shenzhen saw more losers than gainers, 1,180 to 997.

Shares related to the aviation and tourism sectors outperformed the market, with shares of Caissa Tosun Development Co., Ltd. surging by 9.97 percent to close at 16.76 yuan apiece.

Bucking the trend, shares in the agricultural machinery and rare earth industries led the losses.

The ChiNext Index, China's NASDAQ-style board of fast-growing enterprises, gained 0.88 percent to close at 2,595.15 points Tuesday.