Intensive haze shrouded central and eastern parts of China in Dec. 2013. In this study, the mass concentrations of gaseous and particulate pollutants, and also the chemical compositions of fine particulate matters were obtained based on in-situ measurement in Shanghai urban area. The characteristics of PM2.5 were investigated during different pollution episodes, including dust, haze, fog-haze and long-rang transport episodes. The results showed that pollution was most serious during the fog-haze episode, during which the maximum daily mass concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 reached 536 microg x m(-3) and 411 microg x m(-3), respectively. During the fog-haze episode, the ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 was over 76.7%, suggesting that high humidity enhanced the secondary formation of NO3-, SO4(2-) and NH4+ in PM2.5. Highest concentration of Ca2+ in PM2.5 occurred during the dust episode and the proportion of primary components in PM2.5 increased obviously. Highest concentration of SO2- was observed in PM25 during the long-range transport episode, with a fast growth rate. Meanwhile, the trajectories reaching Shanghai urban area and cluster analysis during different pollution episodes were simulated by HYSPLIT model. Combined with observation data of PM2.5 in Shanghai urban area, chemical characteristics of PM2.5 in different clusters and potential source apportionment of various pollution episodes were also studied in this study. The result revealed that the air trajectories could be grouped into six clusters based on their spatial similarities. Among these clusters, cluster6 which moved fast was associated with clean air. Cluster2 and cluster3 originating from Mongolia region had strong correlations to dust pollution, along with low PM2.5/PM10 ratio and high concentration of Ca2+ in PM2.5. Compared with other clusters, cluster5 and cluster4 with slow moving speed were more favorable for reactions between particulate species and formation of secondary pollutants during transport. Additionally, the stagnant weather condition under these two clusters with high water vapor when passing over the East China Sea further led to the aggravation of atmospheric pollution in Shanghai.