On a 100-year time scale,the global warming potential of methane (CH₄) is 25 times that of CO₂.Revealing the spatiotemporal dynamics of CH₄ emissions and the composition of emission sources is of great value for the realization of the national dual-carbon goal.Based on the data set in the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR),this paper characterizes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of CH₄ emissions in China,and uses spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis methods to reveal the spatial agglomeration effect of CH₄ emissions.The data were analyzed for CH₄ emission sources.The results show that the hotspots of CH₄ emissions from 1970 to 2018 mainly distributed in East China,North China and South China,and had a trend of gradually extending to the northwest region.In general,there were three stages from gradual rise to rapid rise and then stable emission;from the perspective of emissions in each administrative region,Shanghai has always been at the highest level,with average emission in ten years being not less than 25 t·km^-2;energy activities and industrial production contributed most to CH₄,especially the transportation and coal mining sectors which held gradually increasing proportions of emissions in recent years.The research results can provide effective guidance for exploring industry emission reduction plans and practicing low-carbon paths.