During normal operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the water level will experience periodic fluctuations, and the rate of water level rise and fall has a significant impact on the stability of the reservoir landslides. Considering the Wushan Tapin H1 landslide in the reservoir area as a prototype, a transparent soil model testing system for reservoir landslides has been designed. This system includes a transparent soil landslide model box, a water level fluctuation system, and a computer image acquisition system. The tests were carried out at different rates of water level rise and fall, and the deformation data of the transparent soil landslide were obtained by using the particle image velocimetry technology over the research profile. The deformation characteristics and evolutionary pattern of the landslide were analysed. The results indicate that during water level rise, landslide deformation progresses from the front to the rear, while during water level fall, the deformation progresses from back to front, with greater deformation caused by water level fall. As the rate of water level fluctuation increases, the dynamic water pressure effect within the landslide and the groundwater level lag effect become more pronounced, resulting in increased deformation and more evident deformation characteristics of the landslide. The surface displacement variation curve of the landslide shows a step-like progression, with horizontal displacement increasing significantly more than vertical displacement. An increased rate of water level fluctuation results in greater landslide displacement during intervals when the water level remains unchanged, indicating a decrease in landslide stability.