Synchrotron Radiation (SR) is the electromagnetic radiation emitted along the tangent direction of the electron orbit by high-speed electrons moving in a circular accelerator when passing through a bending magnet. SR source, as a platform-type scientific and technological infrastructure, plays an important supporting role in the research and development of inorganic materials. SR techniques become an indispensable research tools of modern science and technology, and inorganic materials are one of the main application fields of SR techniques. Compared with conventional light source used for research, SR techniques in the study of inorganic materials have following obvious advantages: 1) higher obtained data qualities; 2) better spatial and temporal resolutions; 3) easier simulated in-situ and material service environment; 4) synchronously acquiring multi-scale, multi-faceted and multi-type structural information; 5) new means more likely to detect new structural characteristics. SR techniques help solve some key scientific problems in the field of inorganic materials, and greatly promote their research. Firstly, this paper briefly introduces the current status of SR sources and their three existing domestic SR facilities: Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF), Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), and National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). Secondly, some application examples related to inorganic materials research are given from the four aspects of X-ray diffraction, scattering, spectroscopy and imaging. Finally, summary and prospect are given to the SR source, the structurally characterization techniques, and their application in inorganic materials.