Chinese shares opened higher Wednesday, the first trading day of 2012, after a gloomy climate sealed a 21.68-percent decline of the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index in 2011.

The higher opening of key indexes came after official data out Sunday showed that the country's PMI data in December ceased its sliding trend for two consecutive months and rebounded to 50.3 percent, delivering the hope of slow but steady growth in 2012, for the world's second-largest economy.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index opened 0.57 percent higher at2,211.99.

The Shenzhen Component Index opened at 8,980.76, up 0.69 percent.