Soil thickness generally refers to thickness of a solum or thickness of the effective soil layer, so it can intuitively express soil properties. On the basis of the work the predecessors have done in light of the definition of solum thickness and relevant criteria for partitioning solum thickness, the authors clarify the concept of solum from the perspective of pedogenesis and put forward some concrete soil thickness partitioning methods specific to soils different in soil type and in land use, while taking into account their own long-term field survey experience. Based on the newly proposed criteria for soil thickness partitioning, 16 soil profiles collected recently in the fields in Anhui, Hubei, Shandong, Qinghai, Gansu, Inner Mongolia and some other provinces were used as cases for soil thickness partitioning. The work may serve as reference for future researches on soil thickness in China.