Abstract: Annual wild soybean（Glycine soja Siebold et Zucc.） is a national second level key protected wild plant, which has the advantages of early maturity, high protein content, strong environmental adaptability, and high content of nutritional active substances such as isoflavones and saponins. Conducting investigations, collection, research, and utilization of one-year wild soybean resources is of great significance for cultivating new soybean varieties and preserving genetic diversity. This article summarized relevant research both domestically and internationally, and provides a detailed introduction to the distribution of annual wild soybeans in China. Previous studied on the genetic diversity of annual wild soybeans in China’s genetic diversity center, as well as the basic situation and achievements of three national wild soybean resource surveys, were also presented. Based on the geographical division of China, the local annual wild soybean surveys and collection work in various regions of China were elaborated in detail. In addition, a detailed introduction was given to the distribution, growth environment, resource investigation, and collection of annual wild soybeans in Russia, Japan, and South Korea. Through this review, it can be seen that annual wild soybeans are widely distributed in China and have a variety of growth environment types. At present, the main views on the genetic diversity of annual wild soybeans in China include the southern center, northern center, and multi center. According to the analysis of the distribution, growth environment, resource investigation, and collection work of annual wild soybeans in Russia, Japan, and South Korea, it can be concluded that annual wild soybeans are widely distributed in Japan and the Korean Peninsula. In Russia, they are distributed in Amur Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, and coastal Krai in the Far East. The growth environment of annual wild soybeans is similar in different regions, and they are concentrated near humid and water sources. In different regions, it has been found that human factors have led to a reduction in the habitat area of annual wild soybeans, and even endangered populations. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the population of annual wild soybeans.