The classification of non-metallic mineral resources is a very important foundational work, which plays an important guiding role in promoting the prospecting, exploration, planning, evaluation, research, teaching, protection, and efficient utilization of non-metallic mineral resources in China. However, because non-metallic mineral resources consist of two major components, minerals and rocks, with diversity and complexity in genesis, properties, types, and applications, and with new mineral species or subspecies constantly emerging, despite significant research by predecessors (Tao 1987; Zheng 2009; Ma 2018; Chen et al. 2019a), there is currently no ideal classification scheme for non-metallic mineral resources. The classification methods of predecessors and the difficulties encountered in practical applications are now introduced as follows: