Abstract: The discrete Kirchhoff thin plate bending element is deeply studied in this paper. The energy functional used in deriving discrete Kirchhoffelemente is divided into three parts, which are respectively expressed in the first strain invariant, a rotation couple and an integration round elemental boundary. It is pointed out that the first and third parts ensure the convergency of the element and the second part governs the computational accuracy. Based on the idea, a new way to improve the discrete Kirchhoff thin plate bending element is suggested and a new discrete Kirchhoff quadrilateralelement is derived. Numerical examples show that the element presentedhere is obviously superior to existing similar elements in accuracy.