Objective To develop an inner-nourishing Qigong exercise program based on the characteristics of stroke and to verify the effect on anxiety, depression and cognitive function in stroke patients with hemiplegia.Methods Eighty patients with hemiplegia after a first-episode stroke were randomized into one of two groups, with 40 in each.The control group was given routine rehabilitation and psychological nursing, while the intervention group received inner-nourishing Qigong exercise which was developed based on the characteristics of stroke 60 min per day for 4 weeks.All patients were assessed with the Self-rating Anxiety Scale （SAS）, the Self-rating Depression Scale （SDS） and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment （MOAC） before and immediately after the intervention.Results The intervention group showed significantly lower anxiety and depression scores, whereas higher levels of cognitive function compared to the control group (all P＜0.05).Conclusion The inner-nourishing Qigong exercise based on the characteristics of stroke can effectively mitigate anxiety and depression, and improve cognitive function of stroke patients with hemiplegia.