The invention discloses a system for differential recovery of potential energy of a boom of an oil liquid hybrid power excavating machine. The system comprises a variable capacity pump, a multi-channel valve, a boom cylinder, an operating handle, a controller, a hydraulic control reversing valve, a hydraulic control reversing and throttling valve, a hydraulic control unloading valve, an energy accumulator, an electro-hydraulic proportional valve and a one-way valve. The controller is used for controlling the electro-hydraulic proportional valve and the variable capacity pump according to pressure at an outlet of the variable capacity pump and a pressure signal of the energy accumulator, thereby solving the flow distribution problem of the energy accumulator and the variable capacity pump. The energy accumulator is an energy storage element which can transform descending kinetic energy and potential energy of the boom to hydraulic energy and reasonably distribute the energy for a main power source and an auxiliary power source, and a working device is driven by the pump-energy accumulator. The system can avoid the waste of a large amount of the descending kinetic energy of the boom, reduce the energy transformation link, enable an engine to stably work in a high-efficient fuel oil region, improve the fuel coil economy of the excavating machine and reduce the emission of the system.