In order to sort out the current research status, stage hotspots and development trend of rural education digitization in China, an in-depth analysis of the high-quality literature included in the China Knowledge Network database in the past 20 years with the help of CiteSpace software was conducted. It is found that: firstly, the research on digitalization of rural education can be divided into four stages, namely initial exploration, rapid growth, steady development and rapid growth; secondly, the researchers have not yet formed a close research cooperation network; thirdly, there is a lack of a single research methodology and multidisciplinary perspectives; fourthly, the research has gradually shifted from a focus on localised rural development to a balanced urban-rural education. Looking to the future, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of the research team and establish an academic research community, expand research perspectives and promote the diversification of research paradigms, and broaden the scope of research and refine the content of research.