Natural ()huperzine A has been found to be an effective inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and can be applied in the treatment of Alzheimer`s disease (AD). The pharmaceutical prospects and lack in natural resource have made the total synthesis of huperzine A an extremely attractive topic in the past decades. In this paper, the progress in the synthesis of the core carbonlectone of huperzine A is reviewed and various types of reactions are summarized in this area.