Abstract: For river model tests, the particle image measurement methods for the surface flow field have been applied widely. A new type of distributed measurement system for the surface flow field was developed for large-scale river model tests. Million-pixel high-definition intelligent integrated industrial cameras were used in this system and connected with a computer with wireless network. There is a gigabit POE (Power Over Ethernet) interface in the camera. The image transmission and camera power supply can be completed at the same time by only a cable with a gigabit POE switch. The complexity of wiring can be significantly reduced so that the cameras can be easily added into the system. The system has functions such as visual and automatic acquisition, visual elimination for error vector, data export with a variety of data formats, generation of flow contours and streamlines; A new detection method for the measurement system of the particle image surface flow field is introduced in this study. Water flow can be simulated by the accurate control of the uniform rotation of the platform. The measured data from the flow field measurement system and the accurate data of the rotating platform are compared. The accuracy of the time of the image acquisition control, calibration of image distortion and flow extraction algorithm can be detected. The model test results show that the measurement errors of the measurement system for the surface flow field are less than 5%. The system has been successfully applied in the Yangtze River estuary model tests and other large river models tests.