Abstract: This paper briefly reviews the development process and important research achievements of mining subsidence from the aspects of the law of overlying rock, the law of surface movement and deformation, technical standards and academic monographs. In terms of the law of overlying rock, Chinese scholars have proposed rock mass response mining theory, key layer theory, etc., and summarized the characteristics and height of fracture zones; in terms of the law of surface movement and deformation, Chinese scholars have proposed calculation methods such as negative exponential function method and probability integration method, etc., especially the probability integration method, which is widely used in predicting surface subsidence; in terms of the technical standards and academic monographs, China has carried out systematic construction work, which has been systematically revised and implemented several times; and published a series of academic monographs. This paper discusses the difficulties in current research on mining subsidence, including the properties of surrounding rock media, limitations of probability integration method, height and shape of the “two zones” of fully mechanized mining （fully mechanized caving）, characteristics and laws of residual surface movement and deformation, dynamic surface movement and deformation characteristics and calculation methods, observation frequency of surface observation stations, and inconsistent technical requirements of relevant regulations for the same matter. And proposes suggestions for future research directions, including using visualization of overlying rock movement as the main means to reveal the essential mechanism of mining subsidence, and using spatial information technology as the main means to complete data collection and processing. The research results show that only by recognizing that “mining pressure-rock movement-mining subsidence” is an organic and unified whole, mining subsidence can be accurately understood and described. While continuously supplementing and improving existing research results, it is necessary to examine mining subsidence studies with new theories and ideas, study mining subsidence studies with new technologies and methods, and continuously promote the in-depth development of the discipline.