We report the isolation and characterization of a paramyxovirus from geese in South China during 1997. The isolate, designated as goose paramyxovirus/QingYuan 1997-1 (GPMV/QY97-1), showed pathogenicity to geese and could agglutinate chicken erythrocytes. Its hemagglutinating activity was inhibited by antiavian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1) serum. The F gene of isolate was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and sequence analysis proved that its sequence conformed to that reported in the literature, encoding an F₀ protein of 553 amino acids with 13 cysteine residues and 6 potential glycosylation sites. It also contained multiple basic amino acids at the deduced cleavage site of the fusion protein, which is a typical feature of highly virulent APMV-1 strains. Sequences analysis of the F gene of GPMV/QY97-1 revealed a homology with other APMV-1 isolates, with its identity ranging from 84.1% to 99.9% on a nucleotide basis and from 88.8% to 99.6% on an amino acid basis. Phylogenetic analysis of the APMV-1 isolates showed that this isolate most closely resembled the reference APMV-1 strain GD/1/98/Go, which was originally isolated from geese in 1998.