China　has　been　suffering　from　an　increasingly　worse　issue　of　air　pollution　over　these　years,　which　has　not　only　caused　a　severe　impact　on　the　indoor　environment,　but　also　presented　a　tough　challenge　to　clean　production　and　a　serious　threat　to　human　health.　At　present,　China　continues　to　adopt　Air　Quality　Index　(AQI)　for　the　assessment　of　outdoor　air　pollution,　which　takes　into　consideration　only　the　most　serious　pollutant　and　thus　neglects　the　effects　of　other　pollutants　during　the　same　period.　In　consideration　of　the　wide-ranging　impact　of　various　pollutants,　a　new　Total　Air　Quality　Index　(TAQI)　is　proposed　to　describe　the　widespread　effects　of　six　criteria　pollutants　on　air　quality.　Based　on　the　current　indicators　applied　in　China,　TAQI　could　reveal　the　contribution　made　by　each　kind　of　pollutant　to　the　overall　air　quality　as　indicated　by　Contribution　Rate　(CR).　In　this　study,　the　daily　average　values　for　the　concentration　of　six　pollutants　across　103　individual　cities　nationwide　as　collected　from　2015　to　2017　are　taken　as　the　data　source.　According　to　the　new　indicators,　the　CRs　of　six　pollutants　in　China　are　first　explored.　Then,　the　pollution　situation　facing　these　103　cities　within　three　years　is　categorized　into　five　different　groups　by　cluster　analysis,　and　the　characteristics　of　each　group　are　summarized.　Finally,　the　five　most　representative　cities　are　identified　by　correlation　analysis　to　explore　the　seasonal　variation　characteristics　of　pollutants.　As　revealed　by　this　study,　particulate　matter　and　NO2　are　the　primary　pollutants,　which　exhibit　a　range　of　obvious　spatial　and　temporal　variation　characteristics.　The　findings　of　this　study　are　expected　to　draw　public　attention　to　the　gaseous　contaminants　(especially　NO2),　guide　the　control　measures　of　indoor　and　outdoor　pollutants,　and　assist　with　the　design　of　clean　air　conditioning　system.