Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and causes virtually all cervical cancer globally. The recent development of two safe and clinically effective vaccines against HPV is a promising step towards lowering cervical cancer rates in the future. What Chinese women think about HPV and the vaccines remains unknown. We undertook a population-based survey, which was embedded in a cervical cancer screening project and was designed to assess women's knowledge about HPV and their acceptability to the vaccines. We found that only 15.0% of women in our study reported to have ever heard of HPV, and this knowledge differs by rural (9.3%) and metropolitan areas (21.6%) and also by education. Most (84.6%) participants were willing to be vaccinated if HPV vaccine became available to them. The present study documents ways in which women learn about HPV and indicates the potential barriers and success of introducing HPV vaccine to China.