Abstract: Riparian zone is an important transitional zone for exchange of substance, energy, and information between aquatic ecosystem and upland ecosystem, and as an ecotone of aquatic and terrestrial.area. Riparian areas have important ecological, social, economic and tourist value. Ecological rehabilitation of degraded riparian ecosystems has become an important research topic in ecology field. Taking ecology, geomorphology and hydrology as a basis, riparian studies deal with multidisciplines and technologies. The banks of rivers or lakes covered with concrete in the city damage the plant communities. It leads to destroy the ecological function of the riverbank connected water ecosystem with terrestrial ecosystem. There are numerous examples of natural forces that cause shifts in the composition of riparian vegetation including climate, geology, wind, floods, gravity, and disease. The restoration of degradation of riparian plant communities is one of complex and challenging issue. However, studies on basic theories and methods of degraded riparian ecological rehabilitation in China are very poor. In this paper, we summarized and discussed the studies on the definition, structure, functions of riparian zones, and on ecological restoration of the damaged riparian in China and abroad. Moreover, the aspects of riparian research in the future are proposed.