Abstract: Abstract: The groundwater level of typical irrigated farmland in the piedmont region of Taihang Mountains has gradually declined since the 1970s. Soil water dynamics and movement in the deep vadose zone under the irrigated farmland in the piedmont region of Taihang Mountains have not been further studied because of the difficult in obtaining data in the thick vadose zone. The soil water content and soil matrix potential under a typical irrigated farmland were monitored. The experimental site was chosen in Luancheng Agro-ecosystems Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in which winter wheat and summer corn were planted. We carried out continuous monitoring on the soil water content and soil matrix potential for three years (October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2014). A neutron tube with a depth of 1540 cm was installed to measure the soil water content. Seventeen tensiometers (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS) were installed for the measurement of soil water matric potential with a maximum depth of 800 cm based on an open caisson (with inner diameter of 1.5 m and depth of 9 m) whose inner sidewall was brick lined. Based on the measured data, combined with the meteorological data of the study area, the soil water dynamics and movement was investigated. The results were as follows: 1) At the layer of 0-800 cm, the soil water content varied from 0.03 to 0.47 cm3/cm3 and the soil water matrix potential was between -628.21 and 0 cm; Moreover, the distribution of soil water in the vertical profile was affected by the soil texture; 2) At the layer of 0-200 cm, the soil water content varied from 0.14 to 0.47 cm3/cm3and the soil water matrix potential ranged from -628.21 to 0 cm; Soil water potential gradient changed significantly in this soil layer; Under the influence of infiltration and evaporation, the soil water could move upward or downward in this layer; 3) Below the root zone (200-800 cm), the soil water content varied from 0.03 to 0.41 cm3/cm3 and the soil water matrix potential ranged from -311.79 to 0 cm, which implied that the soil water content approximately ranged from saturated situation to the field capacity and the velocity of the wetting front could be up to as high as 0.13 m/day below the root zone;The value of soil water potential gradient was positive (positive potential gradient value means the downward direction of soil water movement in this study), thus soil water moved downward below the root zone; 4)The soil water matric potential changed from -311.79 cm to 0 cm and water potential gradient varied from 0.1 to 5.61 cm/cm at the layer of 200-600 cm; In the layer of 600-800 cm, the variation range of soil water content was 0.04-0.41 cm3/cm3 and the soil water matric potential varied from -138.18 and -45.57 cm; The variation range of soil water content was 0.03-0.35 cm3/cm3 and water potential gradient maintained approximately at the unit water potential gradient (1 cm/cm) below the depth of 600 cm; and 5) According to the soil water dynamics mentioned above, the vadose zone from the depth of 0 to 800 cm could be divided into three layers: infiltration and evaporation layer (0-200 cm), unsteady infiltration layer (200-600 cm) and quasi-steady infiltration layer (600-800 cm). This study is helpful for the more accurate estimation of groundwater recharge and provides data support for the sustainable utilization of groundwater.