A high speed and heavy load gas foil journal bearing test rig with cylinder loading device was designed and manufactured,and the three-pad gas foil journal bearing was tested. It is measured that both the lift-off speed and the lift-off torque of the bearing increase as the load increases. The bearing load capacity at the speed of 30 000, 40 000,50 000,60 000 r/min was measured by using temperature method. The test gas foil journal bearing can achieve 380,535,700,810 N respectively at these different speeds. During the test,the test rig can run up to 70 000 r/min,and 1 020 N was loaded at 51 000 r/min. The results showed that test rig was set up successfully.