NEW home prices in 36 major Chinese cities continued to climb month on month in May despite the government's attempt to cool the property market, the National Development and Reform Commission said yesterday.

The average new home price in 36 popular cities was 8,479 yuan (US$1,247) per square meter in May, up 0.81 percent from April, according to the NDRC.

However, the May growth rate in those 36 major cities was 2.65 percentage points lower than the April figure.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, home prices in 70 large and medium-sized Chinese cities rose 12.4 percent year on year in May.

To rein in prices, the Chinese government has issued a series of measures, including raising mortgage rates and tightening down-payment requirements for second-home purchases.