Using CaO, NaOH and Na2CO3 as activators, the effects of dosage and combination of the activators on the cementing property of granulated blast furnace slags were investigated, and the hydration products of the activated slags were detected by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis. Results indicate that CaO can be used as an effective activator for the slag samples and its optimum dosage is about 10%, but the CaO activated slags shows much lower early strength than the Portland cement. However, the early strength of the CaO activated slag can be remarkably improved by the addition of NaOH or Na2CO3. Under the addition of about 6% NaOH or Na2CO3, the overall compressive strength of the alkali activated slag is higher than a 42.5MPa Portland cement. XRD analysis revealed that the hydration products of the alkali activated slags are mainly amorphous materials, which is quite different from that of the Portland cement.