Objective' To study the muscular histological traits and their relationship with meat tenderness in local broilers and provide a theoretical basis for promoting meat quality of broiler. [Methed] The diameter and density of muscle fiber of three local varieties of chicken (Beijing Fatty broil- er, Fujian Hetian broiler and Taining Black broiler) were detected at the age of 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. And the differences in the diame- ter and density of muscle fiber as well as their relationship with meat tenderness were respectively analyzed with SAS software. [ Resultl Fatty broil- er had the smallest muscle fiber diameter while Hetian broiler the largest; Fatty broiler had the highest muscle fiber density while Hetian broiler the lowest Hetian broiler had the highest muscle shear force of leg muscle while Black broiler the lowest ( P 〈0.05) ; Black broiler had the highest mus- cle shear force of breast muscle while Fatty broiler the lowest (P〈0.05). The correlation analysis showed that the shear force of breast muscle and leg muscle had significantly positive relation with fiber diameter and significantly negative relation with fiber density ( P 〈 0.05). [ Conclusion] Muscu- lar histological traits varied in different local broilers, and the muscular shear force had significantly relation with fiber diameter and density.