Long-day and short-day photoperiods were set artificially, with natural condition as the control, to examine photosynthetic parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence transient kinetics of 6-year-old 'Chunjie' peach cultivar (Prunus persica cv. Chunjie), and to investigate the effects of photoperiod on photosynthesis of the northern deciduous fruit trees. The tree advanced into the dormancy induction period under the short-day condition, and delayed under the long-day condition. In the dormancy induction period, the leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) decreased, and the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) increased, suggesting that the Pn decreased because of non-stomatal limitation. Maximum quantum yield for primary photochemistry (PhiPo, or Fv/Fm), potential activity (Fv/Fo), probability that a trapped exciton moved an electron into the electron transport chain beyond Q(A)-(Psi(o)) and performance index on absorption basis (Pl(ABS)) decreased in the dormancy induction period, suggesting that the electron transport capacity of photosynthetic electron transport chain was inhibited, possibly due to the damage to downstream electron transport chain (after Q(A)- acceptor) of PS II reaction center. Long-day photoperiod improved Pn in the dormancy induction period, and reduced the range of decline in PI(ABS) and the injured degree of photosystem. Short-day photoperiod deepened and accelerated the damage to photosynthetic apparatus significantly. The induced effect of photoperiod was associated with the dormancy processes.