Chinese stocks fell 7% today after less than half an hour of trading, triggering a newly-introduced circuit breaker mechanism.
Shanghai and Shenzhen markets will remain closed for the rest of the day.
The CSI300 index fell 7.2%, to 3,284.74 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 7.3%, to 3,115.89 points.
Selling pressure increased in line with a slide in the yuan, which fell to its lowest level since February 2011.