Previous studies, mostly conducted in developed countries, indicated that a higher heart rate (HR) was associated with an increased risk of death among adults 65 years old or older. The present study aimed to assess the effect of HR on all-cause mortality in Chinese adults 65-79 years old. A total of 7,951 participants (4,136 men, 3,815 women)recruited from 1998 to 2014 in the first seven waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey were followed up until 2018. Heart rate was classified into four groups: <70(n= 2323),70 to 79(n= 3878),80 to 89(n= 1426),and≥90(n= 324)beats per minute. The main analysis adjusted for age, marital status, residence, co-residence, diet, physical activity, smoking, and drinking. In multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for mortality were 0.96 (0.87-1.06), 0.99 (0.87-1.13), and 1.51 (1.21-1.89)for the 70-79, 80-89, and ≥90 groups respectively, compared with the lowest group. In our sample, a very high(≥90) heart rate was associated with a higher risk of mortality. Further investigations are needed to explain the complex relationships between heart rate and mortality.