Adsorption of aurous cyanide ion in gold-bearing industrial wastewater on activated carbon in a Φ0.2 m′0.5 m adsorption column was simulated by replacing aurous cyanide ion with nickel ion, and the breakthrough curves of aurous cyanide ion and adsorption capacity distribution under different conditions were obtained. The results show that at the feeding flow rate of 0.001 m3/s, feeding concentration of 7.614′10-5 kmol/m3 and mass transferring coefficient of 0.001 s-1, the beginning and completing adsorption breakthrough time of aurous cyanide ion absorbed by activated carbon was 47.61 h and 124.14 h, respectively. With increasing of the feeding flow rate and feed concentration, the breakthrough time was shortened. The adsorption breakthrough curves did not change with mass transferring coefficient any more when the value of mass transferring coefficient was over 0.001 s-1.