Abstract: According to orthogonal test method, the activated carbon was prepared from fir sawdust by zinc chloride activation. The influence of concentration of zinc chloride, impregnation ratio, activation temperature and activation time on the methylene blue adsorption value (Q_MB) and iodine adsorption value (Q_I2) of the samples were analyzed. The results showed that the key factor that affects the activated carbon product is activation temperature. The optimum preparation conditions of activated carbon from fir sawdust were the concentration of ZnCl₂ 55%, impregnation ration 1:1, activation temperature 550℃ and activation time 70 min. Under these operation conditions, the activated carbon was prepared with specific surface area of 1 956.71 m²/g, total pore volume of 1.096 cm³/g, average pore diameter of 2.42 nm, Q_MB of 240 mg/g and Q_I2 of 1 311.04 mg/g.