Based on updated daily surface solar radiation and associated meteorological elements data from 13 observational stations over East China, the long term trend of surface total solar radiation was analyzed, and the influence of cloud, aerosol and water vapor on total solar radiation were explored. The total solar radiation decreased from 1961～2008 at a rate of 2.05 W·m-2·(10yr)-1; it decreased obviously from 1961 to 1989, and increased from 1990 to 1995, but decreased again since 1995, after 2000 fluctuated in the average line and slightly increased. The change of aerosol, cloud and water vapor contribute much to the variation of total radiation, from 1961 to 1989, the results imply that the atmospheric aerosols burden enhancement is the major reason for global radiation reduction, while cloud cover’s contribution is relatively larger from 1990 to 2008, and the influence on total solar radiation of the low cloud is greater than that of the total cloud.