The olfactory and gustatory systems play crucial roles in essential insect behaviors, such as host selection, feeding, oviposition, mating, and predator avoidance. Since the early 20th century, advances in ethology, electrophysiology, microscopic imaging, molecular biology, and high-throughput sequencing, have greatly improved our understanding of the behavioral characteristics, sensillum types, neural circuits, and molecular mechanisms, underlying insect chemoreception. In recent years, olfactory research has elucidated the underlying mechanisms of odorant receptors, ionotropic receptors, odorant-binding proteins, and chemosensory proteins in the peripheral coding of odorants, and research on taste has primarily focused on the encoding mechanisms of gustatory receptors in response to feeding and oviposition stimulants and deterrents. At the same time, the benefits of applying the results of olfactory and gustatory research to pest management has become increasingly apparent. Behavior-modifying agents based on sex pheromones and plant volatiles have been widely adopted in agriculture and forestry production, where they play an increasingly important role in environmentally-friendly pest control. This review outlines the history of research on insect chemoreception in China, introduces key contributions of Chinese researchers, and highlights practical applications of this research in integrated pest management. Recent progress in this field will hopefully further understanding of insect olfaction and taste, and facilitate the development of innovative pest control products.