Some research achivements of the origin, differentiation and spread of asian cultivated rice （Oryza sativa L.） are reviewed and discussed in the paper, the route of cultivated rice origin and spread are drawn as follows: cultivated rice was originated and spread in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river basin and south of China, and mainly japonica rice further spread from different east part of China to Korean  and Japan, mainly indica rice spread to the south and southwest of China and to Vietnam, India and etc., and further to European and Americas countries. Some research indicated that Indica and Japonica rice were differentiated from wild rice Oryza rufipogon Griff, and some research indicated that they were differentiated from middle cultivated rice, but a research showed that the most important agricultural gene in indica and japonica rice seems to originate from the same. Legend of humanities and fairy tales related to rice are introduced.