Vulnerability and adaptation study of the cryosphere and its changes is a novel research direction in the field of cryospheric research. The exploration and understanding of vulnerability concept of the cryosphere and its changes is the prerequisite and foundation of the study system. In addition, the research content includes social and economic impacts of cryospheric changes, which is the breakthrough point, the vulnerability and adaptation assessments of the different scales of human-environment systems to the effects of cryospheric changes, which is the bridge between impact and adaptation, and the option and pathway of coping with and adapting to the effects and risk of cryospheric changes, which is the goal. In this paper, the vulnerability concept of Chinese cryosphere and its changes is firstly defined and discussed. Impact, vulnerability and adaptation as a main line, the research contents and their respective key scientific issues of social and economic impacts, vulnerability and adaptation of cryosphere change, vulnerability assessment model, and study scale are elaborated. Thus, a research frame of the vulnerability and adaptation is initially built in the kingdom of Chinese cryospheric sciences. The component of Chinese cryosphere is various, including glacier, frozen ground, snow, river ice, lake ice, and sea ice. The variations and impacts of these elements are complicated, and different from one region to another. The vulnerability and adaptation study pattern and spatial layout of Chinese cryosphere and its changes are determined in the paper on the basis of the consideration of abovementioned diversity, complexity and regional differences. The applied study on cryosphere change adaptation of co-design and joint participation for different stakeholders should be strengthened and cryospheric disaster risk, especially gradient risk should also be paid high attention to in addition to the further study of the impact and vulnerability of the cryosphere change.