The aim of this study was to investigate the network structure and core features of depressive symptoms among older adults in China, and to compare the networks of depressive symptoms among older adults of different genders and different levels of depression. Data from the 2020 China Health and Elderly Tracking Survey were used for the survey, and 8445 valid samples were included, and network analysis was performed using R software. The results of the study showed that the core features of depressive symptoms in older adults were low mood and feeling unable to go on with their lives; there was a borderline significant difference in the structure of depressive symptom networks among older adults of different genders (P = 0.049), there was no significant difference in the strength of network connections (P = 0.265), and the centrality value of feeling unable to go on with their lives was significantly higher in men than women (P < 0.05), and the different genders of depressive symptom There were significant differences in the weights of some margins between networks (P < 0.05); there were significant differences in the network structure and network connection strength of depressive symptoms among elderly people with different degrees of depression (P < 0.001), and the centrality values of feeling depressed and feeling unable to go on with their lives were higher in the group without depressive symptoms than the group with depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). The results suggest that the network structure of depressive symptoms among the elderly in China is complex, and it is recommended to focus on core symptoms such as low mood in the prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms among the elderly, and to develop personalized intervention strategies for gender differences in order to enhance the mental health of the elderly.