PURPOSE: To evaluate whether retinal vessel abnormalities are associated with early or late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in adult Chinese. DESIGN: Population-based prevalence study. METHODS: The Beijing Eye Study included 4439 (83.4%) subjects of 5324 living in a rural area or urban region of Greater Beijing, age older than 40+ years, and invited to participate. The participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination, including fundus photography. The photographs were graded using the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading system for evaluation of AMD, and using the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities protocol for assessment of retinal vascular abnormalities. We examined focal and generalized arteriolar narrowing, arteriolar sheathing, and arteriovenous crossing abnormalities. RESULTS: Fundus photographs were available for 8655 eyes of 4376 (98.6%) subjects. Neither early nor late AMD was significantly (P > .15) associated with any of the retinal vascular abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal vascular abnormalities are not markedly associated with the prevalence of early or late AMD.