Groundwater is of fundamental significance for human society, especially in semi-arid areas in China. However, due to the fast social and economic development, China has been suffering from the shortage of water resource. In this situation, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) was considered to be an effective measure for the sustainable management of groundwater resources. Since 1960s, China successfully implemented many MAR schemes for different purposes such as restoration of groundwater tables, prevention of seawater intrusion, increasing urban water supplies and controlling land subsidence. From those successful experiences China developed a scientific and applicable system to implement MAR project. However, there were still many challenges in this field, for example, treated waste water had been barely used for recharge. The present review summarized the achievements in MAR applications in China as well as the associated challenges within the past 55 years before the year 2016.