The development of geochemical exploration since the establishment of the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources 40 years ago is briefly reviewed in this paper. The Geochemical Prospecting Division under MGMR was set up in 1952. Since then, geochemical prospecting has experienced several stages; first, there was the early starting stage; from 1960 s, the levels of methods a.nd techniques for geochemical prospecting were steadily raised, and the contingent of technicians was expanded year after year; since 1978, geochemical prospe cting has entered a stage of all-round and rapid development, and this is espe cially obvious in such aspects as regional geochemical prospecting, geochemicalprospecting for gold deposits, geochemical rock survey, mercurometric survey and analytical methods and techniques. In the past ten years, regional geoche mical prospecting has covered an area of 4010000 km2 in China, geochemical prospcting has gained conspicuous ore-prospecting effects in search for ore resources of noble metals and nonferrous metals, and geochemical methods and techniques have ascended to a new height: relatively advanced world levels have been reached In such fields as working methods for geochemical prospe cting (especially the working method for geochemical prospecting in special landscape units), the analytical techniques of samples and quality monitoring, the preparation of standard samples, the application of computers to geochemi cal prospecting, and the development of instruments for geochemical prospe cting. Looking forward to the future, the geochemical prospecting work of MGMR has clear and definite objectives and arduous tasks, and is bound to play an increasingly important role in geological ore-prospecting as well as in environmental and agricultural studies.