It has been more than 30 years since the first Chinese Antarctic Expedition took place. Polar upper atmospheric observations started at this time. First began at Great Wall Station and then at Zhongshan Station in Antarctica, and later in the Arctic at Yellow River Station, Kjell Henriksen Observatory on Svalbard, and at the China-Iceland Joint Aurora Observatory in Iceland. In this paper, we reviewed the advances in polar upper atmosphere physics(UAP) based on the Chinese national Arctic and Antarctic research over the last five years. These included newly deployed observatories and research instruments in the Arctic and Antarctic; and new research findings, from ground-based observations, about polar ionosphere dynamics, aurora and particle precipitation, polar plasma convection, geomagnetic pulsations and space plasma waves, space weather in the polar regions, simulations of the polar ionosphere-magnetosphere. In conclusion, suggestions were made for future polar upper atmosphere physics research in China. First has at Great Wall Station and then at Zhongshan Station in Antarctica, and later in the Arctic at Yellow River Station, Kjell Henriksen Observatory on Svalbard, and at the China-Iceland Joint Aurora Observatory in Iceland. In this paper, we reviewed the advances in polar upper atmosphere physics (UAP) based on the Chinese national Arctic and Antarctic research over the last five years. These include newly deployed observatories and research instruments in the Arctic and Antarctic; and new research findings, from ground-based observations, about polar ionosphere dynamics, aurora and particle precipitation, polar plasma convection, geomagnetic pulsations and space plasma waves, space weather in the polar regions , simulations of the polar ionosphere-magnetosphere. In conclusion, suggestions were made for future polar upper atmosphere ph ysics research in China.