Research on earthquake disaster rescue in China has made significant progress; however, systematic analysis of its developmental trajectory and emerging trends remains inadequate. This study uses 499 papers on earthquake rescue sourced from CNKI core journals, CSSCI, and CSCD published between 2001 and 2024 to conduct a knowledge mapping analysis using CiteSpace. Key findings are as follows: (1) Temporally, the research evolves through three phases—an incubation stage (2001—2007), a rapid expansion stage (2008—2016), and a deepening development stage (2017—2024); (2) Spatially, core authors demonstrate “local clustering with nationwide dispersion,” while research institutions exhibit strong specialization but insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration; (3) Research themes concentrate on basic studies of rescue scenarios, applied methodologies for post-disaster response, and the development of characteristic Chinese rescue systems, with emerging technologies becoming frontier topics. Future research should strengthen interdisciplinary theoretical integration, refine scenario classification and emergency response mechanisms, extend studies on China-specific rescue models with enhanced global academic impact, and deepen international discourse power, thereby systematically advancing scientific support capabilities for disaster governance.