Beijing's CPI, a main gauge of inflation, rose 1.9 percent year on year in March, said the city's statistics bureau.

The index, however, dipped 0.4 percent when compared to February.

Data showed Beijing's CPI for Jan.-March period went up 1.8 percent over a year ago.

In comparison with February, the city's food prices dropped 1.4 percent in March, leading to a decline of 0.23 percent in CPI, and the prices of travel-related sectors, such as hotel rooms and air tickets, saw major decreases after the travel rush during the Spring Festival in February.