Images from inside the plane show staff touching a woman's face as she sits looking paralysed in her seat, her eyes tightly shut. Another shows officials looking nervously around the aircraft, while one picture shows damage to the plane's interior.
Concerned passengers were seen talking inside the airport after they disembarked at Gate 32.
A spokeswoman for Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport told news.com.au the China Eastern flight was affected by turbulence on landing. The plane arrived from Kunming in southern Yunnan province shortly before 3pm.
The direct Kunming-Sydney route has only been running since October, according to Sydney Airport's website.
Shanghai-based carrier China Eastern said in a statement that five passengers and three cabin crew were injured on the Airbus A330, according to China Aviation.