Objective To investigate the protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, VEGF-D and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) in primary gastric tumor, adjacent non-tumor and perigastric lymph node tissues and their relationships with clinic-pathological features. Methods The protein levels of VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 in tumor, adjacent non-tumor and perigastric lymph node tissues of 60 patients with gastric cancer were detected by immunohistochemical method. The effects of clinic-pathological features included tumor differentiation, Lauren classification, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, and Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection on VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 protein levels in gastric cancer tissues were also analyzed. Results The expressions of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in gastric cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent non-tumor tissues (2.82±1.66 vs 2.13±1.75, 4.81±2.30 vs 3.78±1.94; n=60; both P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VEGFR-3 protein expression between gastric cancer and adjacent non-tumor tissues (P>0.05). The expression levels of VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 proteins in lymph nodes with gastric cancer metastasis (3.77±2.43, 2.86±1.95, 2.55±2.11; n=44) were significantly higher than those without gastric cancer metastasis (2.25±2.01, 1.98±1.73, 0.76±1.13; n=59; all P<0.05). Statistical analysis results showed that the expression levels of VEGF-C and VEGF-D proteins in gastric cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those without lymphatic metastasis (both P<0.05), and the VEGFR-3 expression in H.pylori-positive gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in H.pylori-negative tissues (P<0.05). Conclusion VEGF-C and VEGF-D protein expressions are upregulated in primary gastric cancer tissues and related metastatic lymph node, which are correlated with lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer.