Abstract: Objective Probing into the mechanism of different avoiding light patterns on the bitterness and astringency, tannin content, distribution and morphology of Dendrocalamus latiflorus.Method The distribution and morphology of tannin cells as well as the concentration of tannin in bamboo shoot of D. latiflorus were investigated on the three treatments of Mulching with soil (EP), Double-layer light-proof bagging (CLPB), and Natural growth (CK) by means of sensory evaluation, optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and phosphotungstic acid-sodium tungstate colorimetry. Result (1)The results of three treatments showed the bitterness and astringency were increasingly enhanced from base to top of bamboo shoot and the bitterness and astringency of three treatments was:CK > CLPB > EP. (2)The cells with tannins(CWT)of D. latiflorus could be dyed black by 2% FeCl2 solution method which made a clear distinguishing between CWT and non-tannin cells and proved to be effective. (3) Most of the tannin was distributed inside the parenchyma cells, a little was found in fiber cells, but none was detected in the sieve tube and the vessel cell of vascular bundles. (4) Most of the tannin was located inside the cytoplasm and a little distributed in vacuole, the morphology of tannin were flocculent, granular and plate-like under the electron microscope. (5) The tannin content range of the bamboo shoot under different treatment are as follows:CK:1.15~2.67 mg·g-1, CLPB:1.03~1.43 mg·g-1, and EP:0.36~1.13 mg·g-1, and the order of CWT distribution density of three treatments was:CK > CLPB > EP, both the order of tannin content and CWT of three treatments in different parts were:top > middle > bottom. Conclusion The bitterness and astringency intensity and tannin content of bamboo shoots had a positive relationship with light, and was much higher in natural light condition than in light-proof one; while the CWT distribution and morphology of bamboo shoots had no relationship with light, the tannin cell morphology was just closely related to the position of bamboo shoot. Such light-proof measures as EP and CLPB significantly reduced the tannin content of bamboo shoot, improved its edible taste quality, therefore it can provide scientific theoretical basis for the cultivation of low bitter and astringent taste of D. latiflorus.