The Yellow River is famous for its complex and unique physical conditions which give great chal- lenges to the river management. Based on the study and analysis of the existing problems and research progress, this paper indicated that the most signifi- cant challenges of Yellow River studies are: long term hydrological and morphological changes; the optimized hydrology and sediment conditions to maintain the healthy life of the River; and simulation of Yellow River through mathematical model and physical models. The Yellow River is famous for its complex and unique physical conditions which give great chal- lenges to the river management. Based on the study and analysis of the existing problems and research progress, this paper indicates that the most signifi- cant challenges of Yellow River studies are: long term hydrological and morphological changes; the optimized hydrology and sediment conditions to maintain the healthy life of the river; and simulation of the Yellow River through mathematical model and physical models.