Abstract: Based on the equivalent standard pollution load method and GIS spatial analysis method, the trend of industrial wastewater emissions was analyzed for the three provinces in Northeast China in four typical years before and after the reform and opening-up and the industrial structure adjustment, in terms of spatial characteristics of industrial sources. Detailed discussions were made on the spatio-temporal change of major pollutants. Data shows that industrial pollution sources distribute mainly along the railway and the expressway from Harbin to Dalianand the central and coastal areas in Liaoning Province, and a trend of constantfocus appears. The total amounts of industrial wastewater and the pollutants show a continuously decreasing trend. Volatile phenol, COD_Cr, petroleum oiland metallic mercury are the dominant pollutants in the three provinces. The discharge of industrial organic contaminants in the wastewater is more than that of inorganic pollutants. Main pollution regions of the volatile phenol and petroleum oil vary completely through years, where an obvious transfer trend exists. As for the main pollution regions of COD_Cr and mercury, besides the original ones some cities become the new pollution regions. The ratio of the three provinces' total wastewater discharge changes little in recent 20 years, but it is quite different in the quantity of equivalent standard pollution load.