BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's loan prime rate (LPR), a market-based benchmark lending rate, saw its one-year rate come in at 3.45 percent on Monday, down from the previous reading of 3.55 percent, according to the National Interbank Funding Center.

The over-five-year LPR, on which lenders base their mortgage rates, remained unchanged at 4.2 percent.