Promoting the construction of ecological inland waterways is conducive to a more balanced relationship between ecological protection and inland waterway engineering. Carrying out the project of ecological inland waterways in the new era is an inevitable choice for the water transportation industry to implement the concept of ecological priority and green development and to seek sustainable development of waterway engineering. On the basis of analyzing a large number of research materials，starting from the theoretical framework of ecological inland waterway construction，this paper systematically summarizes the relevant concepts，technologies，and development frontiers of ecological inland waterway construction at home and abroad. Furthermore，the paper also summarizes the achievements and shortcomings of ecological inland waterway construction in China. At the end of the paper，considering the status quo of domestic ecological inland waterway construction，it is proposed that the next step should focus on the research on ecological waterway structure and evaluation methods，ecological restoration，and ecological waterway impact and effect monitoring.