Evaluation of the global warming potential of the dairy industry both in China and globally necessitates reliable characterization of CH 4 and N 2 O emissions. However, CH 4 and N 2 O emissions from dairy operations differ with feeds, herd structures and manure management practices, and the lack of N 2 O and CH 4 emission measurements for China, especially for intensive dairy operations, causes substantial uncertainty in accounting for GHGs from dairy operation both in China and globally. In this study, CH 4 and N 2 O emissions during summer to fall period from an intensive feedlot in China were characterized to fill the data gap. The diurnal CH 4 emission patterns for milking cows and heifers were driven by the feeding activities and the diurnal N 2 O patterns by the diurnal changes in temperature. The CH 4 emission rates of 397 g head −1 d −1 (23.63 L CH 4 kg −1 milk) (in summer) and 279 g head −1 d −1 (in fall) for milking cows and heifers accounted for 5.17% and 7.68% of their daily gross energy intakes, whereas the N 2 O emission rates of 36.7 g head −1 d −1 (0.85 L N 2 O kg −1 milk) for milking cows and 24.2 g head −1 d −1 for heifers accounted for 4.25% and 6.86% of the daily feed N intake. The CH 4 conversion factor and CH 4 emission intensity in the measurement season for intensive dairy operations in China are lower than those for collective operations in China, and the CH 4 emission intensity is similar to those in developed countries.