Abstract: Thermal desorption technology is efficient, rapid and with strong adaptability for various pollutants and contaminated sites, and has been widely used in foreign remediation projects. Although this technology started late in China, the development of related researches and engineering applications is rapid. The principles, application scopes, classifications and influencing factors of thermal desorption technology were introduced. The development process of the technology and equipment as well as the industrialization status in foreign markets summarized. The development and application characteristics of this technology and the engineering application status of self-developed equipment in China were analyzed, and the technical bottlenecks and industrialization barriers pointed out. The future development directions and some advices were given in order to solve the existing problems.