Objective To provide reference for hospital emergency preparedness for disasters in China by summarizing the main results from articles involving hospital emergency readiness. Method We systematically searched MEDLINE (1950 to June 2008), CNKI (1980 to June 2008) and some websites. The main results of the eligible articles are described. Results A total of 85 articles were included, of which expert articles and surveys accounted for 44% and 29%, respectively. An emergency hospital plan should address the following 4 phases of disaster management: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery. The following factors should be considered when developing hospital emergency plans: surge capacity, disaster planning, collaboration, training, drill, personnel, equipment, triage, diagnosis, treatment, decontamination, funding, individual security, logistic, psychological support, etc. Questionnaires, checklists or specific tools could be applied to evaluate such emergency plans. Conclusion Hospital emergency preparedness is essential for effective disaster relief. Hospitals should develop emergency plans for a variety of disasters, based on their local situations.