Shanghai's housing price fell by 1.2 percent in October compared with September, said a report from the National Development and Reform Commission yesterday.

Four other cities also saw price drops. The property price in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province experienced the steepest price drop of 2.1 percent.

The prices of Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, and Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, decreased by betweenone to two percent respectively.

The average housing price in China's 70 big cities increased by 0.5 percent in October compared with September, according to the report.

The commission did not reveal the exact figure for the average housing price, but said it also represented a year-on-year increase of 6.6 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency November 9, 2005)