Cover Story：Spatial memory is one of basic cognitive abilities for human to explore the world. It is ubiquitous in our thinking and speaking about our living environment. We essentially rely on spatial knowledge about the external environment not only when finding the objects (e.g., keys and cell phones), but also when shopping, working or dating. Given that special memory plays fundamental and important roles in daily life, it is vital to characterize how the brain represents the environment. Using fMRI and electrophysiological techniques to date, many studies have investigated spatial memory processing and neural mechanisms of hippocampus formation and neocortex. In this review, we focus on the key questions about how the brain constructs the cognitive map and which neural circuits are involved for this processing. Future studies to explore neural basis of human spatial memory will need to be highly interdisciplinary and integrative, and may contribute to the diagnosis and intervention of cognitive disorders.