Abstract: The changes in land transfer of 31 provinces (excluding Hong Kong， Macao and Taiwan) were summarized according to the proportion and price of each land transfer pattern from 2003 to 2010. Choosing the proportions of market land transfer pattern in 2003 and 2010， and the average land prices of negotiation pattern and market pattern from 2003 to 2010 as classification indexes， this research used hierarchical clustering analysis as well as qualitative analysis to divide the 31 provinces into four geographical clusters. The reasons for differences in land transfer patterns of these geographical clusters were explored from the following perspectives—contribution of land transfer fee to local finance， land transfer price， regional economic development level and national macro strategies. Due to the unsustainability of land transfer and the possible negative effects of land transfer pattern changes， this study proposed some countermeasures to govern the land transfer and promote the land finance transformation of each geographical cluster.

Key words: nation-owned land, transfer pattern, geographical difference, land finance