Abstract: Some important progresses of the studies of the general circulation and monsoon in East Asia, made since the pioneering work "Monsoon in Southeast Asia and rainfall amount in China" by Professor Zhu Kezhen, have been extensively reviewed in memory of this founder of modern meteorology in China. The first part has addressed the bimodality of the general circulation and abrupt seasonal change. The second part has dealt with the role of the continent and ocean contrast and topography in the dynamic and thermal processes of monsoon development, including winter and summer monsoons, and associated heat sources and sinks. The third part has discussed the monsoonal precipitation, with a special emphasis on the meso-scale disturbance, low-level jet and interannual variability of Meiyu.