The term of “J wave syndromes” was firstly introduced more than 10 years ago by Gan-Xin Yan and his Chinese colleagues. This review focuses on the history, epidemiology, basic and clinical research of J wave syndromes in China. The important contribution of Chinese cardiologists has greatly impacted our understanding of the mechanisms underlying inherited and acquired forms of SCD syndromes characterized by prominent and dynamic J waves. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016.