By investigating occurrence of Phytophthora root rot in fields and isolating P. sojae from diseased plants and soils, the distribution of P. sojae in China was surveyed. In addition to northeast region, P. sojae existed in Huanghe-Huaihe basin and Yangtze basin too. Eighty- three isolates of P. sojae isolated from different areas were identified on virulence using 13differential soybean cultivars, abundant virulence diversity was found in P. sojae. The greater diversity in virulence of P. sojae was in isolates from soil than from plants. And the greatest virulence diversity of P.sojae was found in Yangtze basin.