To　investigate　the　seismic　performance　of　reinforced　concrete　(RC)　rectangular　hollow　bridge　piers,　cyclic　testing　on　five　well-confined　specimens　was　performed　under　constant　axial　load　and　biaxial　bending.　The　test　variables　included　axial　load　ratio,　longitudinal　reinforcement　ratio　and　lateral　reinforcement　ratio.　The　results　show　that　these　specimens　are　flexural　failure　modes;　biaxial　force　and　displacement　hysteretic　loops　show　significant　stiffness　and　strength　degradation,　pinching　effect　and　coupling　interaction　of　the　structural　seismic　resistances　in　both　directions;　the　ductility　coefficient,　varying　from　3.5　to　5.7,　and　the　equivalent　viscous　damping　ratio,　varying　from　0.19　to　0.26,　can　meet　the　requirements　of　seismic　design;　RC　rectangular　hollow　bridge　piers　with　configurations　of　lateral　reinforcement　subject　to　bi-directional　earthquake　components　have　excellent　earthquake　resistance,　and　can　substitute　for　current　hollow　RC　rectangular　section　configurations　described　in　the　Chinese　Guideline　for　Seismic　Design　of　Highway　Bridges　(JTG/T　B02-01-2008);　and　the　length　of　the　plastic　hinge　region　is　found　to　approach　one　sixth　of　the　hollow　RC　rectangular　bridge　pier　height　for　all　specimen　piers,　which　is　far　less　than　the　currently　specified　minimum　value　in　Chinese　Guideline,　so　the　length　of　plastic　hinge　region　is　more　concentrated　for　RC　rectangular　hollow　bridge　piers.