Abstract: To clarify the curing characteristics of tobacco cultivars NC102 and NC297 in Dali tobacco-growing region of Yunnan, K326 was used as the control under dark box and curing trial conditions to optimize the curing process for these special tobacco varieties. Differential analysis was conducted on the color score, yellowing and browning characteristics, SPAD value, chlorophyll degradation characteristics, moisture loss characteristics, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and the appearance and sensory quality of the cured tobacco leaves of K326, NC102, and NC297. The results showed that: 1) In dark box tests, NC102 and NC297 required 60 and 72 hours respectively for complete yellowing of middle leaves, and 120 and 96 hours respectively for 30% browning, demonstrating moderate curing tolerance for both cultivars. 2) Compared to K326 and NC102, NC297 exhibited lower SPAD values and color values (a^*, L^*, b^*, C), resulting in undesirable leaf color after curing; 3) In dark box tests, K326 exhibited the best coordination between leaf yellowing and moisture loss, followed by NC102, while NC297 showed the poorest coordination. 4) The moisture loss equilibrium of middle leaves for K326, NC102, and NC297 was 1.00, 0.92, and 0.73 respectively, indicating poor curing adaptability for middle leaves of NC102 and NC297. 5) In curing trials, the chlorophyll degradation rates for middle leaves of NC102 and NC297 were both 1.30% per hour, with degradation amounts of 93.54% and 93.62% respectively, indicating favorable chlorophyll degradation characteristics. 6) After curing for 24-96 hours, the PPO activity of the middle leaves of NC102 and NC297 were all below 0.3 U. However, their PPO activities were 10.38% and 10.77% higher compared to K326, indicating good curing adaptability. 7) The composite scores for appearance and sensory quality of middle leaves of NC102 and NC297 were significantly lower than those of K326, with NC102 outperforming NC297. Middle leaves of NC102 exhibited moderate curing adaptability and tolerance, while those of NC297 showed poor curing adaptability and tolerance. The corresponding process optimization measures provide references for the adaptive utilization and quality improvement of special tobacco cultivars in Dali tobacco-growing region of Yunnan.