Purpose Assess the beta zone parapapillary atrophy in elderly Chinese. Patients and methods The Beijing Eye Study 2011 is a population-based cross-sectional study, which includes 3468 patients with the average age of 64.5 +/- 9.8 years. The beta zone of parapapillary atrophy was captured and analyzed morphometrically by using colour optic disc photographs. Results The beta zone was found in 1358 (39.9%) eyes, measuring 0.37 +/- 0.84 mm(2) in size, 203.5 +/- 81.8 degrees in circumferential angle, 0.36 +/- 0.27 mm in the maximum radial extent, the most often and longest in the temporal peripapillary region, followed by the temporal inferior region and the temporal superior region, the nasal region at least. Beta zone has statistically significant association with male gender (P = 0.001), myopic refractive error (P = 0.003), thinner retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (P<0.001), thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness (P<0.001), bigger size of optic disc size (P<0.001). The size of beta zone has statistically significant association with longer axial length (P = 0.004)?increasing age (P<0.001), urban (P = 0.025), cardiovascular disease history (P = 0.025), with age related macular degeneration (P = 0.038), myopic ametropia (P<0.001), thinner retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (P = 0.001), thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness (P<0.001), bigger size of optic disc size (P = 0.001). Conclusion The population prevalence of beta zone was 39.9% in elderly Chinese. The area of the beta zone has statistically significant association with age, urban, the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer, age related macular degeneration, cardiovascular disease history, axial length, myopic refractive error, size of optic disc size, the thickness of subfoveal choroid.