A moded of bud dormancy release in Quercus variabilis BI.which is an important and widely distributed(about 20-42°N,98-120°E)timber species in China,was established in this paper,based on the presumptions that there are absolute requirements for chilling in trees,and until theabsolute requirement was satisfied the tree can not resumes growth from dormancy status by the combination of chilling temperature and forcing temperature.The results showed that themost effective temperature for the accumulation of chilling unit is what approximates the basetemperature of tree,and the high temperature during the late stage of rest can counteract the effects of previous chilling on rest-break in this tree species.According to the characteristics of both the resumption of growth competence(GC) and the accumulation of the forcing temperature(FT),the dormancy release in Q. variabilis in China could be identified as four main patterns,i.e.,the Northern pattern in which the GC resumes slowly and the FT accumulates slowlyfirst and then rapidly;the Central pattern in which the GC resumes fast and the FT accumulatesslowly;the Southern pattern in which the GC resumes fast and the FT accumulates rapidly;theSouthwestern pattern in which the GC resumes rapidly and the FT accumulates fast.Finally,discussions were provided in details for the future development of modelling dormancy release.