Using fresh embryos isolated from developing lotus seeds of 18 days after pollination as explants, a rapid propagation system of lotus was established through primary culture, subculture plantlets hardening and transplantation. Results showed that the primary culture medium of MS+0.5 mg·L^-1 6-BA+0.5 mg·L^-1 NAA+30 g·L^-1 sucrose+0.5 g·L^-1 activated carbon+0.8 g·L^-1agar was the optimum for the explant growth. The explant induction rate was up to 85% after cultured for 60 days, Qiuhongyang had the highest amount of stem nodes. In the subculture, the optimal concentration of sucrose in the medium was 80 g·L^-1. When dividing aseptic seedling for subculture, cutting with two stem nodes showed the highest multiplication coefficient. The multiplication coefficient of different varieties was ranged from 4.0 to 6.7, and Qiuhongyang was the highest (6.7). Aseptic seedlings were suggested to be subcultured every 50 days, with high multiplication rates for up to 6 rounds of subcultures. The rooted plantlets were transplanted to pots containing medium of peat:pond soil=1:2 (v/v) during May to July, and the survival rate of transplanted plants was higher than 83.9%. Based on these results, using this in vitro propagation system, it is estimated that 1 465 seedlings be developed from a single lotus seed within one year. This study has established a rapid in vitro propagation system for lotus, which provides the basis for the factory scale production of lotus plantlets.