The　Protected　Areas　(PAs)　with　natural,　ecological　and　cultural　value　play　important　role　in　biological　processes,　biodiversity　and　ecosystem　service.　During　the　past　years　of　rapid　urban　expansion　in　China,　the　spatial　range　and　intensity　of　light　pollution　unprecedented　increase.　Historically,　optical　remote　sensing　and　field　survey　data　had　been　used　to　reveal　that　human　activities　impacted　on　PAs　for　individual　areas　and　few　papers　documented　the　issue　of　light　pollution　impact　on　PAs　at　national　scale.　Here,　time　series　night-time　light　satellite　images　of　Defense　Meteorological　Satellite　Program　Operational　Linescan　System　(DMSP-OLS)　were　selected　to　assess　the　light　pollution　impacted　on　PAs　in　China.　The　method　we　proposed　can　be　effectively　applied　to　assess　the　impact　of　light　pollution　on　PAs　and　the　percent　of　dark　PAs　decreased　by　35.38%　from　1992　to　2012　at　nationwide.　The　trend　of　light　pollution　of　most　PAs　in　stable,　however,　light　pollution　of　the　local　area　is　increase　significantly,　especially　in　northern　Xinjiang,　Gansu,　Xizang,　Yunnan,　Jiangsu　and　Shandong.　Considering　the　current　status　of　light　pollution　encroach　into　PAs,　two　strategies　of　appropriate　buffer　zone　and　wide　measured　for　light　pollution　are　also　recommend.　©　Authors　2017.　CC　BY　4.0　License.