During forty years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, there have been two nationwide general soil surveys conducted in China. This article presents a brief review of the first nationwide soil general survey, and paid a substantial content in summing up the achievements in the second nationwide general soil survey and the developments of soil and fertilizer sciences.The second nationwide general soil survey is one of the prority projects in the National Planning Programme for Science and Technology Developments, 1979-1985 (a draft plan). Under the direction of the Science and Technology Advisory Group, great achievements have been acquired by using greater scale topographic map, remote sensing, micro-computer, new testing method and other investigation, mapping and analysis techniques. These achievements would give great contributions to the development of soil classification science through replenishing the basic units of primary level soil classification, promote the establishment of soil test network, and Improve the soil analysis methods. The soil survey results will be widely used in agricultural district divisions planning, adoption of scientific fertilizer application, soil improvement and the establishment of production bases for particular farm products of crop, forestry and animal productions. The article also discusses about the soil fertility monitoring network established during conducting soil general survey. In short, it pseseuts one aspect of the development of soil and fertilizer scionces in China.