Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) is the most widely distributed conifer in North China. Due to its wide adaptability to natural conditions and higher tolerance to environmental stresses such as drought and nutrient deficiency, Chinese Pine has played the most important role in forestation and water and soil conservation in North China. Against a wide range of natural water conditions across the entire distribution area, some of the provenances of Chinese Pine may have evolved a higher degree of adaptability to water stress than others. In this study the possible differences in photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics among six provenances of this species were investigated. Seedlings of six provenances of Chinese Pine, including provenances Luonan (LN) and Qiao Mountain (QO) from Shannxi, provenances Lingkong Mountain (LK) and Luya Mountain (LY) from Shanxi, provenance Qian Mountain (QN) from Liaoning and provenance Wuling Mountain (WL) from Hebei, were transplanted in pots in a greenhouse and treated with progressive water stress. The parameters of photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence for them were measured under three soil water treatments (T₁, normal water condition; T₂, mild stress; and T₃, severe stress; with 70%-80%, 50%-60% and 30%-40% of the field capacity, respectively). The difference in photosynthesis and water utilization characteristics, and the relationships of photosynthetic and water use parameters with stomatal conductance and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters among these provenances were analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences (P< 0.01) in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), water use efficiency (WUE), potential efficiency of primary conversion of light energy of PSⅡ (F_v/F_m) and potential activity of PSⅡ (F_v/F_o) among these provenances under T₁, T₂ and T₃. Significant differences (P< 0.05) in actual quantum yield of PSⅡ electron transport (Ф PSⅡ) and apparent photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR) were detected under T₁ and T₃. Provenances LK and WL had the highest Pn under T₂, and showed stronger adaptability to mild water stress. Under T₃, provenance QN had higher Pn and WUE than the rest except for the WUE of provenance LK, and provenance WL had lower Pn and WUE than the others except for the Pn of provenance LK; provenance QN had the highest Pn, Ф PSⅡ and ETR among all the provenances; and provenances QO and LY had the second highest Pn; while provenances LK, WL and LN had lower Pn, Gs, Ф PSⅡ and ETR, and it indicated that the severe water stress had larger effect on the photosynthetic ability and quantum yield of PSⅡ in provenances LK, WL and LN. Provenance LN showed decreasing Fv/Fm with increasing F_o under T₃ compared with T₁, and it suggested that its PSⅡ reaction centre might be destroyed or temporarily inactivated. The Pn, Gs, Ф PSⅡ and ETR in provenance LK were significant lower than in the rest under T₃ (P< 0.05), and provenance LK had significant higher WUE than the rest under every treatment (P< 0.05). The WUE in all the provenances increased due to the decrease of Tr under T₃. The result of correlation analysis showed that the stomatal conductance was the main influencing factor on Pn of Chinese Pine under T₁; and that Pn and WUE were closely related with the stomatal conductance, quantum yield of PSⅡ and electron transport rate under T₂ and T₃.