This paper introduces the development of the inland waterways and shipping in China,especially in the main inland waterways in China including the trunk waterways of the Yangtze River,Xijiang waterway and the Grand Canal,expounds the key technologies in the development of inland waterway informatization,and puts forward the development trend of inland waterway informatization in China.The research result shows that currently the inland waterway informatization construction is at the initial stage of development in general.