Chinese shares closed lower Wednesday amid thin trading, ending a two-day winning streak.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went down 0.7 percent to 2,714.61, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.1 percent lower at 8,454.75.

Trading remained subdued, with the combined turnover on the two bourses standing at 229.3 billion yuan (33.6 billion U.S. dollars), down from 281 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Companies in the industries of environmental protection, electronics, and papermaking were among the biggest losers, while recently-listed companies saw corrections across the board.

Bucking the trend, the coal sector registered notable gains. Zhengzhou Coal Industry and Electric Power Company saw its shares close 3.04 percent higher.

The ChiNext Index, China's NASDAQ-style board, lost 1.2 percent to close at 1,439.55.