BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed higher Friday, with shares in science and technology leading the gains.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.57 percent to close at 3,307.17 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.60 percent higher at 11,194.91.

Combined turnover on the two bourses expanded to 511.7 billion yuan (about 81 billion U.S. dollars), up 27.31 percent from the previous trading day.

Gainers outnumbered losers by 1071 to 183 on the Shanghai bourse and by 371 to 76 in Shenzhen, with over 70 shares surging by the daily limit of 10 percent.

Shares of communications, computers and electronics led the gains, with the sub-indices up 3.59 percent, 3.1 percent and 3.04 percent, respectively.

The sub-index of science and technology surged on both markets, with online security provider Nsfocus Information Technology and game provider Shanghai U9 Game up by the daily limit of 10 percent.

Blockchain-related shares also climbed in the afternoon session, after governor of the central bank Zhou Xiaochuan's remarks on digital currency Friday.

The development of a digital currency should be a prudent progress and avoid excessive speculation, Zhou told the press on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress.

Steel and mining sectors dropped the most, with the sub-indices down 1.84 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

The ChiNext Index, which tracks China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 3.53 percent to close at 1,856.46 points.