Based on the data of groundwater resource investigation in Northern China,the present work is to discuss the changes of regional groundwater regimes and its induced mechanism during the past fifty years by selecting the Junggar Basin,the Hexi Corridor Basin,the North China Plain(NCP)and the Songnen Plain as representatives for different groundwater systems. The results suggested that the responses of groundwater system to the stress were characterized by gradual and sudden change resulting in degeneration of groundwater system,which restricted sustainable utilization of groundwater resources. The changes of groundwater recharge,flow pattern and chemical composition showed a slight difference in different basins and plains. Groundwater recharge area changed from the piedmont plain to the agricultural area in the lowland. As a result,the total rate of recharge for each basin tended to decrease during the past 50 years.