Estuarine fronts, dynamic interfaces of land-sea interactions, are zonal regions with sharply varying sea-surface density gradients. Hangzhou Bay, a typical macrotidal estuary along China’s eastern coast, maintains a year-round northeast-southwest (NE-SW)-oriented salinity front, shaped by the interplay of freshwater discharges from the Qiantang and Yangtze Rivers with East China Sea shelf waters. Secondary circulation and convergence associated with this frontal zone can significantly affect local material transport and primary production. This paper systematically reviews methods for identifying estuarine fronts; the formation mechanisms and spatiotemporal characteristics of the salinity front in Hangzhou Bay; the structure and dynamics of frontal circulation, and the effects of fronts on material transport. Studies show that the Hangzhou Bay salinity front is stronger in summer and weaker in winter, with its morphology and salinity distribution regulated by both natural hydrodynamic forces and human activities. Through advection, vertical mixing, convergence and divergence, the front strongly controls the transport and accumulation of suspended sediment, microplastics, heavy metals and organic pollutants in the bay and adjacent waters, and affects the ecological environment of the frontal zone. The review highlights several outstanding gaps in current understanding: the three-dimensional, fine-scale structure of the front remains inadequately characterized; the microscale mechanisms governing the migration, transformation, and aggregation of emerging pollutants within the frontal zone are poorly constrained; the relative contributions of individual drivers to frontal formation and evolution lack quantitative assessment; and the combined effects of human activities and climate change on the long-term evolution of the front remain to be elucidated. Future research should integrate multi-source remote sensing, high-resolution in situ observations, and refined numerical simulations to develop physically and biogeochemically coupled models, with priority given to the three-dimensional dynamics of the frontal zone, cross-frontal material fluxes, and the fate of emerging pollutants, thereby providing a robust scientific foundation for water environment management and resource conservation in Hangzhou Bay.