Salt or alkaline soil is the main restricting factor of steady steady development in rice production. In order to improve salt or alkaline tolerance in rice, expand plant area and reduce low product caused by salt or alkaline stress, a lot of researches have conducted studies on genotype diversity, physiology and biochemistry, genetics and gene mapping of salt or alkaline tolerance in rice. But there is not a standard method for characterization and evaluation on salt or alkaline tolerance in china, which affects further development salt or alkaline tolerance of rice. This paper describes the methods of characterization and evaluation index and grading standard of salt or alkaline tolerance of rice in the world, providing the basis for standard methods of characterization and evaluation of salt or alkaline tolerance in rice, characterization of rice germplasm, physiologic biochemistry analysis and genetic breeding.