By using time domain reflectometry (TDR) , a fixed-position monitoring was made on the dynamic characteristics of soil water under Vernicia fordii plantation in the hilly red soil region of Southern China. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the soil water storage among different months, and the dynamics of soil water could be described as the phases of accumulation, depletion, and stabilization. Soil water had a significant variation in its vertical distribution, and the variation pattern differed in different seasons. Significant correlations existed between soil water storage and meteorological factors such as relative humidity (RH) , air temperature (t) , vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and rainfall (R) (P < 0. 05). After rain, soil water loss had a significant hyperbolic correlation with drought duration, while soil water storage had a significant linear negative correlation with this duration (P < 0. 05). With the extension of drought duration after rain, soil water loss tended to vary gently with increasing soil depth.