This study examined the effects of organic manure and chemical fertilizer on soil microflora, soil respiration, number of inorganic phosphate solubilizing bacteria, and organic phosphorus (P) mineralizing bacteria. The inorganic phosphate solubilizing rate, organic P mineralizing rate, and selected enzyme activities in a blue purple paddy soil were also studied. The results showed that organic manure significantly increased the total number of fungi, actinomyces, bacteria, P solubilizing bacteria, organic P mineralizing bacteria, P solubilizing rate and organic P mineralizing rate, soil respiration rate, and selected enzyme activities, whereas chemical fertilizer resulted in a smaller effect, and bacteria were affected more than fungi and actinomyces by organic manure. The enhancement of biological activities caused by organic manure might be due to the introduction of a large amount of living microorganisms and readily‐utilizable carbon source on which microorganisms live. This study showed that the augment of inorganic phosphate solubilizing bacteria and organic P mineralizing bacteria was one of the reasons that organic manure increased the avilability of P in a blue purple paddy soil.