Abstract: Hot compression of AZ61 magnesium alloy was conducted on a Gleeble-1500 thermo-simulation test machine at deformation temperature range of 250-400 ℃ and strain rate range of 0.001-10 s-1. Deformation behavior and processing map were investigated, and the optimal processing parameters were successfully applied in rolling. The results show that ZA61 alloy deformed at strain rate of 10 s-1and temperature range of 250-400 ℃, the optimum process for the hot processing of the AZ61 alloy, displayed a efficiency of higher power dissipation. Magnesium alloy sheets with uniform structure and excellent mechanical properties could be fabricated when rolled at this region. The average grain size of the rolled sheets was in the range of 3-10 μm, the tensile strength and elongation of the sheets ranged from 292.9 MPa to 329.7 MPa and 21.4% to 27.5%, respectively.