The Plecoptera are widely distributed aquatic insects that are sensitive to chemical substances in water, and therefore important indicators of water quality. This paper reviews the history of taxonomic research on the Plecoptera in China, a field in which Klapálek, Navás, Banks and Wu Chenfu have made important contributions to early taxonomic research. In addition, the species diversity of Chinese Plecoptera is summarized; there are a total of 657 species (including 31 in Taiwan and 4 in Hong Kong) representing 10 families and 66 genera, accounting for about 17.8% of all species worldwide. Species named by Chinese scholars account for 74.7% of all species recorded in China, and species named in the 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 account for 67.4% of this total. In addition, the geographical distribution and phylogenetics of the Plecoptera in China are summarized and analyzed. Chinese scholars have sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of 60 species, 90.9% of all species that have been sequenced, and have accumulated important molecular data for molecular phylogenetic studies of this group. These data have allowed good progress to be made on the molecular phylogeny of the Plecoptera. The main obstacles impeding progress on Plecoptera systematics in China are analyzed, and prospects for future research discussed.