Abstract: ystem. This is a great progress of China in the evolution from traditional to modern education. In the period of the RC, dvocates of livelihood education, vocational education and production education have emerged gradually, and then with the industry education which began in Late Qing Dynasty played great roles to the national economy and the people's livelihood. In the past,researchers always divided the RC's history of educational thinking to different schools and then described one by one, yet they didn't analyze their common essence. This article mainly discusses the born of the related concepts of livelihood education, their different meanings and their common essence. Adapted to the education situation and social reality at that time, livelihood education constitutes the important part of the RC's history of education and social history. It also provides great experience to the vocational education and adult education of the People's Republic of China.