Along with the widely used experimental testing technology within 40 years, a number of significant knowledge and results have been achieved in diagenesis of clastic reservoirs an important branch of sedimentology and basin research, which has promoted the exploration and development of hydrocarbonbearing basins. This article encompasses the knowledge system to start an overview of the concept and research history of diagenesis, and to collate some representative classification viewpoints of clastic diagenetic stage. Several advances in recent theoretical and applied aspects of diagenesis, which have enriched the systems and technology series, have been introduced and summarized, including: ① improvement of alkaline diagenesis theory; ② increasingly widespread application in numerical simulation of clastic diagenesis; ③ rapid development of diagenesis within the framework of sequence stratigraphy or depositional facies; ④ preliminary investigation of structural diagenesis; ⑤ in-depth quantitative evaluation of diagenetic facies. Additionally, the research trends of the discipline system of diagenesis should be closely combined and discussed with diagenesis of tight sandstone reservoirs, diagenesis and its temporal properties of hierarchical systems, quantitative research of diagenesis, and integration of diagenesis and other fields. Frontier research and development directions have been prospected in order to bring forward further development of diagenesis, which is benefit for the forecasting and evaluation of the spatial and temporal distribution of hydrocarbonbearing clastic reservoirs.