Abstract: Based on daily maximum surface air temperature data of 34 stations during 1961～2002 in the three gorges area,the climatic characteristics of high temperature are analyzed.The results show that the number of annually averaged high temperature days as well as the number of annually averaged harmful high temperature days have three characteristics:(1) their variation interannual is large;(2) the variation of phases is distinct;(3) the variation of trend is decreasing in the last 40 years over the three gorges area.The averaged annual frequency of high temperature course has obvious decreasing trend.There exist obvious regional differences in the trend of extreme maximum air temperature,extreme maximum air temperature is of an obvious increasing trend in most parts north of the three gorges reservoir,and there are decreasing trends or they are not significant in other parts of the three gorges area.