Abstract: To provide a theoretical basis for lily breeding of low light tolerance, we studied the developmental and photosynthetic characteristics of Lilium Oriental hybrids, i.e. ‘Marcopolo’, ‘Tiber’, ‘Constanta’ and ‘Acapulco’, under different shade treatments, i.e. natural light, 50% shade and 75% shade. The photosynthetic parameters and growth indices of different hybrids were measured under different light intensities. The results showed that with 75% shade, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), light compensation point (LCP), light saturation point (LSP), dark respiration rate (Rd), apparent quantum yield (AQY), the chlorophyll a/b (Chl a/b) and specific leaf mass (SLM) all decreased, while the chlorophyll content and leaf area increased. The tolerance to low-light stress was different among the four hybrids. The LCP, Rd and SLM of ‘Marcopolo’ were lower than those of the other three hybrids, with small variations of AQY. These suggest that ‘Marcopolo’ has greater tolerance to low light, while ‘Acapulco’ is sensitive to low light.