Rhodiola kirilowii (Regel) Maxim (Crassulaceae family) is used in traditional East Asian medicine, mainly in China, to prevent damages due to hypoxic environment of high altitude. On the basis of own achievements and wide review of the published articles the authors describe the status of field cultivation as well as phytochemical and biotechnological investigations carried out on R. kirilowii (callus tissue cultures, micropropagation in vitro, somatic seeds production, hairy roots cultures). The identified chemical constituents of the extracts of roots and callus tissues of R. kirilowii are presented and divided according to chemical groups.