China has a very small area of volcanic ash soils which are roughly distributed in three regions, i.e. Inner Mongolia region, Xizang Plateau region and Pacific region. This paper-deals with the preliminary study on the genetic, characteristics and classification of volcanicash soils in the four locations, Leihu of Hainan Island, Tengchorig of Yunnan, Dedu of Heilongiiang and the Changbai Mts. of Liaoning in China. (1)Volcanic ash soils derived from volcanic ash and generally developed on tableland have shallow solum and brownish black color, glassy fragments in, the solum and weatherable minerals like plagioclase and pyroxene in the silt fraction. The soils are low in bulk density and high in porosity and water-holding capability, with a capillary moisture capacity close to the saturated water content, and slightly acid to neutral in reaction and very high in content of exclmneeable Ca⁺⁺, total P and total K.