By using seeding-box total fertilization technology, a two-year field plot experiment was conducted to study the effects of applying medium rate of controlled-release urea fertilizer (MN, 80 kg N x hm(-2)), high rate of controlled-release urea fertilizer (HN, 120 kg N x hm(-2)), and conventional urea fertilizer (FP, 300 kg N x hm(-2)) on rice yield and nitrogen loss. As compared with FP, HN did not decrease rice yield significantly, and MN and HN increased the two-year average nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by 26.2% and 20.7%, respectively (the NUE in treatment FP was 33.2%). In treatment FP, the total N concentration in surface water peaked after 1-3 days of urea application; while in treatments MN and HN, the total N concentration in surfate water peaked after 7-9 days of urea application, and was significantly lower than that in treatment FP throughout the rice growth period. The nitrogen leaching loss in treatment FP mainly occurred at tillering stage, while that in treatments MN and HN delayed to tillering-flowering stage. In all treatments, the NO3(-)-N loss accounted for 59.7% - 64.2% of the total N loss. HN decreased the total N leaching loss by 51.8%, as compared with FP.