In the spring of 1985, a party of psychiatrists from Great Britain and Ireland visited four major Chinese cities—Beijing (Peking), Shanghai, Nanjing (Nanking) and Guangzhou (Canton), as a study tour of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, under the auspices of the Chinese Medical Association. A number of psychiatric hospitals were visited and there was opportunity for many discussions with psychiatrists and other professional staff. This paper records some impressions of the psychiatric services and practices that were observed, together with material obtained in discussions. It is hoped that it will update and complement previous reports by Western visitors to China, and thus increase understanding of mental health in China.