Abstract: The paper aims to rationally adjust planting structure, optimize agricultural production layout, protect ecological environment and improve utilization efficiency of solar energy. Using daily sunshine duration and annual mean total cloud amount, low cloud amount, precipitation, relative humidity, sand dust days and average wind speed observation data of 5 meteorological stations in Shiyang River Basin during 1961-2010, characteristics of space-time distribution and intensity of sunshine duration were systematically analyzed with trend coefficient method, then meteorological influencing factors of sunshine duration were analyzed with correlation coefficient method and standardized regressive coefficient in multiple linear regression. The results showed that: sunshine duration was longer in low altitude area than in high altitude area because of altitude difference, landform and weather system in Shiyang River Basin. Sunshine duration of year and age had an overall increasing trend except Liangzhou, the increasing trend was very obvious in Minqin and Yongchang. Time series of sunshine duration had 5 to 8 years quasi-periodic variation. Variation trend of sunshine duration was inconsistent in each season, presenting an overall increasing trend, the increasing trend was the most significant in spring. Monthly variation of sunshine duration also had certain differences except Tianzhu, one peak was in June. and two troughs were in September and December to January of next year. Change rates of various intensities of sunshine days were bigger. Sunshine days increased first and then reduced along with the sunshine duration’s increase, the main influencing factors of sunshine duration were total cloud amount and low cloud amount, the second were relative humidity and sand dust days, the effects of precipitation and average wind speed were the weakest in Shiyang River Basin. Sunshine duration was positively correlated with low cloud amount and average wind speed, and showed negative correlation with total cloud amount, precipitation, relative humidity and sand dust days. Main influencing factors of sunshine duration were different in each region.