Administrative detention refers to the system whereby state administrative organs or other organizations authorized by law or administrative regulations take the administrative act of depriving citizens of their personal freedom in the process of public administration. Administrative detention in China mainly takes the forms of reeducation through labor （including drug rehabilitation through labor） （laodong jiaoyang），detention for education （shourong jiaoyang or shourong jiaoyu），coercive treatment （qiangzhi zhiliao），coercive drug rehabilitation （qiangzhi jiedu），administrative control （xingzheng guanshu），immediate detention （liji juliu） and administrative attachment （xingzheng juliu）. This article carries out a comprehensive examination of the concept，scope and nature of administrative detention，as well as the concept，legal basis，applicable objects of，and remedies for，various forms of administrative detention，and puts forward suggestions on the future development of the administrative detention system in China，including implementing the principles of respecting human dignity，administration by law，proportionality，due procedure and remedies for rights.