Housing prices in 70 major cities continue to rise, with the average rate increasing at 5.6 percent in the first quarter, said a report released by the National Development and Reform Commission and National Bureau of Statistics yesterday.

Shenzhen was the top one, with its housing price jumping 12.6 percent, and Beihai, a coastal city in Guangxi, in the south, at 10.1 percent , the second and followed by Beijing, 9 percent, the third .

On the second-hand housing market, Shenzhen and Zhengzhou rose more than 10 percent, and Beijing achieved a 9.5 percent increase.

Meanwhile, the land exchange price rose 9.8 percent in the first quarter, meaning a 3.7 percent year-on-year increase, reported China Youth Daily.