Abstract: In this paper the equations of motion for the large deflection problem of a visco-elastic rectangular thin plate with initial curvature are expressed in terms of three displacements at the midplane. For a simply supported plate subjected to transverse load, the dynamic response of the plate under periodic load is studied, and the criterion of arising subharmonic bifurcation and the horseshoe (or chaotic) state is given by the bifurcation theory and the Melnikov's method.