Abstract: China was the first country to use protected planting technology during the winter months. For more than 2000 years, China has kept its protected horticulture system with typical Chinese characteristics that can give a balanced supply of vegetables throughout the seasons of the year. This development history can be divided into three separate stages: the generalization and popularization of the traditional protected horticultural technology, pre-founding of the protected horticultural system and the formation of the protected horticultural system with Chinese characteristics. In the development of Chinese protected horticulture, a technological way was followed which was abided by using technologies that were low in investment, energy saving and high in output. This was proved to be successful. But it faces many new and great challenges when people want to form a more modern protected horticultural system. This paper retrospects to its history and puts forward some suggestions on the development of protected horticulture in the future.