Objective To establish a rat model of liver fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL), and to improve the classical BDL method. Methods Eighty adult healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups A and B, 40 rats each. The two groups of rats were modeling by classical BDL method and modified hepatic duct ligation method, respectively. Sham operation was performed in 10 rats of each group and were taken as control sham group. Hepatic biochemical indicators AST, ALT, ALP, TBIL, DBIL, GGT, and A/G in the rat serum at one week after operation were detected with an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Pathological changes of the rat liver at 4 weeks after operation were observed with HE staining. Cell proliferation-related markers α-SMA and CK-19 in the liver were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Both two rat models of obstructive cholestasis were successfully established. Serum biochemical and liver pathological changes indicated impaired liver function in the bile duct ligated rats. After cholestasis caused by bile duct ligation, mitotic figures of hepatocytes and the expression of α-SMA and CK-19 in hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells was increased, and hyperplasia of bile canaliculi and hepatic pseudolobule formation were observed. These changes indicated early hepatic cirrhosis. The mortality rate of rats was 66.7% in the BDL group and 26.7% in the modified BDL group. Conclusions Liver fibrosis can be successfully induced by hepatic duct ligation in rats. In addition, this modified ligation method can reduce the mortality and improve the model quality and efficacy of experiment.