Embryogenic calli were induced from mature seed scutella of anther culture-derived rice variety Zhonghua 8. Cell suspension cultures were initiated from friable embryogenic calli and utilized as source material for protoplast isolation. Generally, the older and finer cell suspensions gave higher protoplast yields than younger suspension cultures. Protoplasts exhibited sustained cell division and formed microcalli when cultured in KPR medium supplemented with 0.5 mg $l^{-1}$ 2,4-D, 1.0 mg $l^{-1}$ NAA and 0.5 mg $l^{-1}$ zeatin using the agarose embedding procedure without feeder cells. Protoplast plating efficiencies ranged from 0.20 to 0.54％. Microcalli were transferred to MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg $l^{-1}$ kinetin and 0.5mg $l^{-1}$ NAA for plant regeneration. The regeneration frequencies were 2 to 12％, depending on the cell suspension lines of Zhonghua 8. The plants were transferred to the glasshouse and were fertile.