Fine crosslinked cellulose particles, wherein (1) said cellulose particles are composed substantially of a II-type cellulose crystalline phase and a non-crystalline cellulose phase, (2) said cellulose particles have a crystallinity, determined by X-ray diffractometry, of 5 to 35%, (3) said cellulose particles consist substantially of spherical to elongated spherical particles having an average particle diameter of not more than 300 µm, and (4) said cellulose particles having an exclusion limit molecular weight by polyethylene glycol of not more than 4,000. The particles may have crosslinkage among the cellulose molecular chains in the non-crystalline phase. The fine crosslinked cellulose particles are prepared by (1) preparing fine particles of a coagulated viscose of cellulose xanthate, (2) subjecting the fine particles of coagulated viscose to crosslinking reaction and then neutralizing them with an acid, or first neutralizing said fine particles with an acid and then subjecting the neutralized particles to crosslinking reaction, and (3) separating the resulting fine crosslinked cellulose particles from the mother liquor, and heat-treating them after optionally subjecting them to desulfurization or to washing with an acid, water or methanol.