Abstract: Photosynthesis is one of the vital physiological processes easily affected by environmental changes. As a plant group growing in specific low temperature and strong irradiance environment, the photosynthetic apparatus of alpine plants have developed special morphologically and physiologically  mechanisms in adapting to this extreme adverse environment. However, due to the high heterogeneity of habitats, there exist great differences in the photo-protection and adaptation mechanisms among different alpine plants. This paper reviewed the recent researches about the morphology and ultramicro-anatomical structure of the chloroplasts in photosynthetic apparatus of alpine plants and the photo-protection and adaptation mechanisms of the plants, and proposed the further research directions on the physiological adaptation of the photosynthesis of alpine plants.