Abstract: Based on continuous observations of aerosol optical properties from sun-photometer and PM_2.5 concentration, the variation of aerosol optical depth, single scattering albedo and asymmetry factor during a pollution episode in Beijing from 25 January to 28 January in 2018 are analyzed. Combined with Raman-Mie Lidar vertical detection, the vertical variation of aerosol extinction coefficient is analyzed in detail. Based on ground-based observations, using a shortwave radiative transfer model, the shortwave radiative heating rates under the clear sky background during the pollution episode are calculated. Results show that under clean condition (25 January 2018), the average daily PM_2.5 concentration is 19.00 μg·m^-3, aerosol optical depth at 440 nm is 0.13, single scattering albedo is 0.87, and the extinction coefficient of aerosol is less than 0.10 km^-1. During the pollution episode (26-27 January 2018), the average daily PM_2.5 concentration is 83.21 μg·m^-3, aerosol optical depth is 2.48, single scattering albedo increases to 0.94, the main aerosol extinction layer height increases to 3.00 km and the mean extinction coefficient of the whole layer is 0.43 km^-1. The aerosol layer can heat the atmosphere evidently, the magnitude of radiative heating rates by aerosol depends on distribution of the aerosol in the vertical direction, and the heating rate under the concentrated heating layer decreases rapidly. Under clean condition, extinction coefficient is less than 0.1 km^-1 which causes the shortwave radiative heating rate of aerosol layer within 10.00 K·day^-1. During the pollution episode, the strong heating effect in the middle and upper aerosol layers (1.50-3.00 km) where the average shortwave radiative heating rate reaches 13.89 K·day^-1, while the lower aerosol layer (within 1.50 km) has a weak heating effect, and the average shortwave radiative heating rate within 1.50 km is only 0.99 K·day^-1. Heating rate accuracy is affected by single scattering albedo, the increased aerosol scattering ability would weaken the heating effect on the atmosphere, and the heating rate in pollution condition is more sensitive to changes of aerosol scattering ability. With the mean extinction coefficient of the whole layer being 0.43 km^-1, the increase of single scattering albedo from 0.87 to 0.94 cause the heating rate of the upper and middle aerosol layers decreases by 3.74 K·day^-1, while the heating rate of the lower aerosol layer increases by 0.81 K·day^-1 on 27 January 2018.