The characteristics of photocatalytic degradation of tar colorants such as brilliant blue FCF(BBF) and tartrazine(TTZ) with zinc oxide suspension was studied in a batch reactor under irradiation of ultra-violet ray. Photocatalytic degradation of TTZ with ZnO was more higher than that of BBF, and was Increased with dosage of ZnO below 5g, but was nearly affected with initial pH of two tar colorants aqueous solution. Ammonium persulfate was more effective oxidant than potassium bromate which slightly increased the degradation of BBF, but not increased the degradation of TTZ. The photocatalytic degradation rates of BBF and TTZ were pseudo-first order with rate constants of 0.0066, 0.0092 and $0.015min^{-1}$ for BBF, 0.042, 0.017 and $0.110min^{-1}$ for TTZ at the dosage of 1, 2 and 5g ZnO, respectively.