Since the Opium War in 1840, China's epidemic prevention education has lasted nearly 200 years with continuous practice and exploration in propagating and improving epidemic prevention knowledge. It was mainly carried out through media such as newspaper and radio, carriers such as leaflets and books, speeches, exhibitions, publicity parades, and training activities. These education activities, open to public access, were often carried out regionally due to outbreak of epidemic and under complicated historical situations. Inspirations from the past experiences are: security needs and psychological needs are the fundamental driving force and internal engine for the epidemic prevention education; only by adhering to government's leadership, popular participation among the people and coordination at different levels can the epidemic prevention education achieve good results; learning from foreign experiences is an effective way to succeed; scientific education concepts and top-level design are important factors for effective education. There are also many lessons that we should take as warnings, such as unclear education goals and tasks; blindly copying the experience of other countries; failing to make overall plans for it; and lacking correct understanding of the epidemic prevention education.