Objective To understand the temperament types and characteristics of preschoolers in Xi'an city, in order to provide references for parents and educators on preschooler's health education. Methods A total of 1 111 preschoolers from 30%~50% classes of every higher,intermediate and lower grade in five kindergartens in four different suburbs and the city center in Xi'an were enrolled by cluster random sampling method,and preschoolers were investigated using the questionnaire of self-designed family environment scale and the Chinese Preschool Temperament Scale(CPTS).Data were analyzed by χ² test using SPSS 15.0 software after parents had filled out questionnaires anonymously. Results 1)The rates of E,I-E,S,I-D,D type were 38.52%,36.91%,12.51%,8.46% and 3.60%,respectively.The type of E combined with I-E was the major type of temperament with the rate of over 70%,while the type of D combined with I-D were the least with the rate of lower than 13%.2)There were no statistically significant differences on temperament types among different age groups(P ＞0.05);The S type of temperament type in girls were higher than that in boys(P < 0.01).3)Compared with Beijing and CPTS national norms,the temperament types were not significantly different (P＞0.05).Compared with Shanghai and Guangzhou,the percentages of middle type and D type were lower,and the E type was significantly higher(P< 0.01).While the S type was all not significantly different among three cities(P ＞0.05).The distribution of preschooler's temperament types of 3~6 age groups stratified by sex: the S type of girls were higher than that of boys at 4-year-old children(15.60% vs.8.57%,P< 0.05).The D type of girls was higher than that of boys at 5-year-old children while the I-E type was lower (25.12% vs.38.75%,P< 0.05). Conclusions The major type of temperament in preschoolers is E combined with I-E in Xi'an city.The distribution of temperament type is affected by sex and region except age.Appropriate education measures should be taken by parents and educators according to their temperament in order to promote healthy growth and development of children.