Abstract: The utilization of renewable biomass resources play an important role in solving the energy crisis and reducing environmental pollution. Along this background, the production of furan-based chemicals from lignocellulose becomes one of the research focuses in biorefinery. Furfural is the key furan-based building block, which is manufactured from hemicellulose fraction directly, and offers a promising, rich platform for lignocellulosic biofuels and value-added chemicals. So it is of great practical significance to develop green technologies for the production of furfural and the conversion of furfural to primary furan-based chemicals. In this review, the formation routes and catalytic conversion of hemicellulose into furfural were summarized with special attentions on the heterogeneous acid-catalysts for the production of furfural in the liquid phase, including zeolites, metal oxides, ion-exchange resins, clays and carbon materials. The formation routes and technologies starting from furfural to various furan-based chemicals, including furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, 2-methylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, furan, tetrahydrofuran, were reviewed.