A multicast packet transmission method, apparatus, and system, where the method is applied to a multicast ring network and the method includes receiving, by a first network node in the multicast ring network through a first path in a clockwise direction of the multicast ring network, a first multicast packet from a second network node in the multicast ring network, receiving, by the first network node through a second path in an anticlockwise direction of the multicast ring network, a second multicast packet from the second network node, where a payload of the first multicast packet is the same as a payload of the second multicast packet, and forwarding, by the first network node, the first multicast packet or the second multicast packet to at least one multicast destination device connected to the first network node.