Abstract: The strong ground motion recordings from the M_S7.8 Tangshan earthquake on 28 July, 1976 and its aftershocks started the process of Chinese analog strong motion recordings and its application to engineering in China. This paper reviewed the history of the Chinese strong ground motion network, and the general characteristics of strong ground motion recordings. Firstly, this paper revaluated the typical analog strong ground motion recordings from the Tang-shan earthquake sequence, and then summarized the characteristics of strong ground motion recordings from the digital strong motion observation network since 2007. And then this paper analyzed the basic characteristics of strong ground motion recordings from several destructive earthquakes occurred in recent years. The results show that the near-field ground motion recordings reflect the near-field characteristics of directivity effect, the hanging wall/footwall effect, the pulse-like effect, and local site effect. The variations of these strong ground motion recordings lead us to enhance the research, including the near-field strong motion characteristics, the relationship between ground motion and damage, in order to meet the requirement of the further scientific research and engineering application.