BEIJING - 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.