The edition of a special issue entitled "Neuroscience in China" provides a unique opportunity to introduce neuroscience research undertakings in China today. Among the biological sciences at large, neuroscience is one of the most advanced fields in China. To take two examples, more than 70% of the articles published in the Chinese Journal of Physiology were in the category of neuroscience; among the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), scientists in the field of neuroscience outnumber scientists in other disciplines of basic medical sciences. This assay tries to analyze the historical and contemporary background underlying the current status.