China is rich in rare earth and alkaline earth elements. This paper introduced the applications of rare earth and alkaline earth elements to the heat resistant magnesium alloys, such as Mg-Al based alloys for automotive power-train system, especially summarized the effects of rare earth and alkaline earth elements on the heat resistance of Mg-Al based alloys. It is concluded that to development the rare earth and alkaline earth magnesium alloys with high performances is one of the important orientations for the future automotive industry.