Abstract: The governance of the Yellow River is a major event for the survival and development of the Chinese nation, and the history of Yellow River governance embodies the history of the development of the Chinese nation. Based on the introduction of the basic overview and development history of the Yellow River Basin, the difficulties and problems in the current Yellow River governance were analyzed, the basic historical context of the Yellow River flood control was clarified and the evolution process of the Yellow River flood control thought and its representative views were summarized. Furthermore, the research progress of modern flood control of the Yellow River was systematically reviewed centering on governance ideas and objectives. Based on the characteristics of the new era and its demand for flood control of the Yellow River, the modern flood control strategies of the Yellow River that meet the demand of the new era were put forward, including flood control thought, flood control strategies and flood control layout. Finally, the future research directions of the modern flood control research of the Yellow River were proposed from multiple perspectives. The research results can provide some reference for the governance of the Yellow River Basin.