Virtual　Observatory　(VO)　is　a　data-intensively　online　astronomical　research　and　education　environment,　which　takes　advantages　of　advanced　information　technologies　to　achieve　seamless　and　global　access　to　astronomical　information.　AstroCloud　is　a　cyber-infrastructure　for　astronomy　research　initiated　by　Chinese　Virtual　Observatory　(China-VO)　project,　and　also　a　kind　of　physical　distributed　platform　which　integrates　lots　of　tasks　such　as　telescope　access　proposal　management,　data　archiving,　data　quality　control,　data　release　and　open　access,　cloud　based　data　processing　and　analysis.　It　consists　of　five　application　channels,　i.e.　observation,　data,　tools,　cloud　and　public　and　is　acting　as　a　full　lifecycle　management　system　and　gateway　for　astronomical　data　and　telescopes.　Physically,　the　platform　is　hosted　in　six　cities　currently,　i.e.　Beijing,　Nanjing,　Shanghai,　Kunming,　Lijiang　and　Urumqi,　and　serving　more　than　17　thousand　users.　Achievements　from　international　Virtual　Observatories　and　Cloud　Computing　are　adopted　heavily.　In　the　paper,　backgrounds　of　the　project,　architecture,　Cloud　Computing　environment,　key　features　of　the　system,　current　status　and　future　plans　are　introduced.