【Objective】 The aim of this study was to explore the effects of maize shading on the photosynthetic characteristics, leaf veins and stomatal characteristics of soybean during the symbiosis period under the maize-soybean intercropping system. 【Method】 Two factors were used in a completely randomized pot experiment under natural light, strong shade tolerant Nandou 12 and light shade tolerant Guixia 3, including the T1 (intercropping of 2 rows of maize and 2 rows of soybean), T2 (intercropping of 1 row of maize and 1 row of soybean) and CK (net for soybean) three treatments, respectively, to analyze photosynthetic parameters, veins and the porosity characteristic parameters’ responding under shading. 【Result】 By contrast with the net treatment, the far-red spectral irradiance of soybean canopy increased significantly under the shade of maize, and the light intensity under T1 and T2 treatment decreased by 48.62% and 77.39%, respectively. Photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, leaf vein density and stomatal density of soybean under maize shading were significantly less than those under CK (P<0.05), and the decrease rate increased with the increase of shade (from T1 to T2). Compared with CK, the net photosynthetic rate of Nandou 12 decreased significantly by 41.00% and 44.15% respectively under T1 and T2 treatment, the net photosynthetic rate of Guixia 3 decreased significantly by 44.62% and 47.93%, respectively, while stomatal conductance of Nandou 12 decreased significantly by 29.19% and 39.69%, and that of Guixia 3 decreased significantly by 26.83% and 49.50%, respectively. The vein density and stomatal density of Nandou 12 decreased by 14.99%, 20.01% and stomatal density decreased by 12.79%, 18.27% respectively under T1 and T2 treatment compared with CK; The vein density and stomatal density of Guixia 3 decreased by 10.38%, 27.62% and stomatal density decreased by 15.77%, 22.46% respectively under T1 and T2 treatment compared with CK. The net photosynthetic rate of soybean had significant positive correlation (P<0.05) with stomatal conductance, vein closure, stomatal density as well as vein density, and extremely negative correlation (P<0.01) with vein distance. In addition, there was an extremely significant positive correlation (P<0.01) between vein density and stomatal density. The vein density, vein length, veins closure, and the distance between the veins of Nandou 12 under maize shading were better than those of Guixia 3. In addition, the shade degree under T1 treatment was higher, while transpiration rate and vein closure, photosynthetic, vein and stomatal parameters of strong shade tolerant Nandou12 all change were less than those of Guixai 3, and Nandou had higher photosynthetic rate.【Conclusion】 In the maize-soybean intercropping system, the changes of canopy light environment, leaf vein and stomatal characteristics of soybean could reduce the photosynthetic ability of soybean, but the response of leaf vein and stomatal characteristics of different shade-tolerant soybean varieties to shading was different.