[Objectives] The embryonic development of amphibians is an important research field of developmental biology and ecology. Rana chensinensis is an important economic amphibian in China, and its early embryonic development needs to be supplemented. This study explored the characteristics of early embryonic development of R. chensinensis. [Methods] The fertilized eggs produced by natural clutches in the Taihang Mountains of Jiyuan City, Henan Province were continuously observed under the condition of water temperature 22.63 ± 2.09 ℃ indoor with stereomicroscope. The embryonic development was observed, and the duration of each stage, the starting time of each stage of development, water temperature, observation times, embryonic morphology and physiological characteristics were recorded and photographed. [Results] The results showed that the egg diameter of R. chensinensis was 1.57 ± 0.01 mm (n = 5), and the early embryonic development was divided into 25 stages. It took 158.83 h from fertilized egg to gill operculum completion period. The cleavage mode was unequal complete cleavage, and about 70% of the embryos outed of the membrane in the gill blood circulation stage. The completion process of early embryonic development was recorded and described (Table 1, Fig. 1). [Conclusion] The cleavage characteristics, hatching mode and hatching period of early embryonic development of R. chensinensis are similar to those of related species, but the development speed is slower. Compared with other anuran amphibians, its cleavage characteristics, the way of out membrane and development speed reflect species specificity. The smaller egg diameter and faster early embryonic development speed reflect the adaptation to shallow and still water spawning habitats in R. chensinensis (Table 2, Fig. 2).