We report a new peat d13C proxy record for humidity or precipitation based on C3 plants from northeastern China. The record reveals two times of significant climate shift and eight severe drought periods during the past 6000 years, all of which have the nature of widespread global occurrence. The variability of precipitation shows periodicities of around 70, 80, 90, 107, 110, 123, 134, 141, 162, 198, 205, 249, 278, 324, 389, 467, 584, 834 and 1060 years. The occurrence and persistent times of drought and periodicities of precipitation show good correspondence with solar variability. The remarkable correlations between peat d13C, peat d18O and atmospheric ?14C suggest that on timescales of decades to centuries the changes in drought and precipitation are likely caused by variations of atmospheric circulation and atmosphere–ocean interactions in large-scale patterns that seem to be related to solar variability.