Catalytic hydrogenation is an appropriate method for the improvement of C9 petroleum resin (C9PR) quality. In this study, the Ni2P/SiO2 (containing 10%of Ni) catalyst prepared by the temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) method was used for hydrogenation of C9 petroleum resins. The effect of reaction conditions on catalytic performance was stud-ied, and the results showed that the optimum reaction temperature, pressure and liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) was 250℃, 6.0 MPa, and 1.0 h-1, respectively. The bromine numbers of hydrogenated products were maintained at low values (~250 mgBr/100g) within 300 h, showing the high activity and stability of Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst. The fresh and spent catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) pyridine adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compared with the traditional sulfurated-NiW catalysts, Ni2P possessed globe-like structure instead of layered structure like the active phase of NiWS, thereof exposing more active sites, which were responsible for the high activity of Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst. The stability of Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst was probably attributed to its high sulfur tolerance, anti-sintering, anti-coking and carbon-resistance ability. These properties might be further ascribed to the special Ni-P-S surface phase, high thermal stability of Ni2P nanoparticles and weak surface acidity for the Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst.