The determination by Chinese scientists in early 1970s of the crystal structure of rhombohedral 2Zn pig insulin, the first protein crystal structure ever to be solved in Asia, marked the historical beginning of the structural biology research in China. Starting with the new century, research in structural biology in China experiences a rapid progress and facing a new development stage, placing her at the frontier of this field worldwide. This Special Column will conduct a panoramic review of the history and current status of structural biology research in China in three Sections, "The history", "The establishment of modern experimental facilities", and "The representative research fruits in recent years at the international frontier of life sciences".