Based on the Hadley Climtae Center monthly mean sea level pressure(SLP) dataset(SLP2r) from 1850 to 2009,this paper defines and calculates the circulation indices of five atmospheric centers of action(ACAs),including Icelandic low(LIC),North Atlantic subtropical high(HNA),Mongolian high(HMO),Aleutian low(LAL) and North Pacific subtropical high(HNP) in winter season over the Northern Hemisphere,and analyzes the abnormal features of five ACAs and their relationship with climate anomaly in China.The main conclusions are as follows:1)The intensity index(P) of five ACAs in winter and January are positively correlated with the area index(S),so they are not independent.The P and the center position index(λ_c,φ_c) are not completely independent.2)HNA and LAL increase significantly in both160 years(from 1850 to 2009) and recent years(from 1950 to 2009).HMO also increases significantly in 160 years,while LIC enhances significantly in recent years.3)LIC and HNA experience the four similar stages of weak,strong,weak and strong.The P index of HMO can be divided into three stages.HMO is weak during 1850-1910,changes slowly from 1910 to the middle of 1940's,and is strong from the end of 1940's to 2009.LAL is weak from 1856 to 1895 and from 1945 to 1973,and is strong from 1895 to 1945 and from 1973 to 2009.The stage change of HNP is not obvious.4)HMO is the main ACA that affects winter climate and anomaly over China.In the positive phase of HMO,the temperature is lower in China(except the southwestern China),and the precipitation is higher over Sichuan and some areas of North China in winter.LIC and HNA,which locate in the upstream of China,are secondary ACAs that affects on winter climate anomaly in China.When LIC and HNA are stronger,the temperature is higher in some areas of Northeast China,North China and Northwest China.The impacts of LAL and HNP on climate anomaly in China are relatively weak.