On the basis of introduction of the concept of urban internal spatial structure, the authors divide the process of research on urban internal spatial structure in China into three phases, including the introducing phase (from the early 1980s to the late 1980s), the developmental phase (from the early 1980s to 1995), and the accelerating phase (from 1996 to the present) Then the authors review the new progress of research on urban internal spatial s tructure from four aspects as follows: first, the research on population and urb an internal spatial structure; second, research on the internal spatial structur e of urban economy; third, research on the internal spatial structure of urban s ociety; and fourth, research on China’s suburbanization At last, the authors analyze the gap of research on urban internal spatial struc ture between China and the west countries From the theoretical system, to the content and method of research on urban internal spatial structure, China lags m uch behind the west world The authors point out that the fifth census and the publication of its data provides us a good opportunity in studying urban interna l spatial structure With the success of China’s economic transition, the empha sis of research on urban internal spatial structure is changing In the future, scholars should lay much more emphasis on the process, characteristics and mech anisms of the restructuring of urban internal space in the transition period or in the process of suburbanization It is an urgent task to develop the theories of China’s suburbanizaiton and models of urban internal spatial structure On the basis of the above mentioned.