Chinese shares opened lower Monday after China's central bank raised the required reserve ratio (RRR) of the country's lenders by 50 basis points on Sunday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went down 0.33 percent to 3,040.53.

The Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.41 percent lower at 12,912.98.

It is the fourth time for the country to raise the RRR this year in an effort to curb stubbornly high inflation. It also hiked the interest rate twice this year to mop up excess liquidity.

The consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, had reached a 32-month high of 5.4 percent in March.