(Yicai Global) Sept. 18 -- Stock markets on the Chinese mainland retained their opening gains at the close today, with liquor, food and beverage stocks leading the way as energy firms lagged behind with corn and software companies in tow.

The Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.25 percent at 2,985.66, with turnover of CNY200 billion (USD28.2 billion). The Shenzhen Component Index rose 0.31 percent to finish at 9,753.31, with investors swapping CNY287.2 billion worth of shares, and the ChiNext Price Index, which tracks emerging firms listed in Shenzhen, ended 0.08 percent higher at 1,679.31 after CNY103.1 billion traded hands. Five companies listed on the Star Market, Shanghai's new board for innovative science and tech firms, closed higher.