(Yicai Global) Dec. 19 -- A rise in real estate and financial stocks failed to rally the Chinese mainland stock markets this morning as the three main indexes closed the morning down after a slow trading session.

The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.25 percent to 2,570.18 at the lunch break, with a trading volume of just CNY48.3 billion (USD7 billion) -- compared with an average CNY60 billion over the first two days of the week. The Shenzhen Composite Index went into the mid-day break at 7,469.12, down 0.45 percent after CNY65.8 billion worth of share swapped hands.

The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises in Shenzhen, closed down 0.76 percent at 1,283.52, with investors trading CNY21.2 billion worth of shares.