Physical and chemical properties of soil under shrub-land and the artificial Chinese pine forest in the upper reaches of Minjiang River were studied. Results showed that the soil bulk density of artificial Chinese pine forest and the secondary shrub-land was 1.40 g/m³ and 1.01 g/m³, respectively. The soil water content under the artificial Chinese pine forest was higher than that under the secondary shrub-land. The saturated water capacity, capillary water capacity and no-capillary water capacity of soil under the artificial Chinese pine forest were 29.1%, 20.9% and 11.1%, respectively, which was 23.8%, 19.1% and 1.9% lower than that of the secondary shrub-land. The soil porosity under the secondary shrub-land was 53.0%, 21% higher than that under the artificial Chinese pine forest. The total soil nutrition content under the artificial Chinese pine forest was lower than that under the secondary shrub-land. The content of total K under the shrub-land was 181% of that under the artificial Chinese pine forest. The pH values under the two sites were 6.23 and 8.39, respectively. It is possible that the potential productivity of the soil under the artificial Chinese pine forest, which has been seriously disturbed by human activity, may be tending toward deterioration.