Abstract: This review starts with a brief introduction to the structural characteristics of xyaln and its reactivity，then the chemical modifications，the application fields as well as the development trend about its derivatives are discussed. The chemical modifications of xylan include etherization，esterification，oxidation，cross linking and composite preparation. Different types of xylan derivatives are introduced in such aspects as typical synthesis routes，efficient structure characterization，unconventional xylan derivatives，physicochemical properties，biological activity，structure-property relationships and so on. Besides，functionalized modifications of xylan such as the preparation of micro and nanoparticles as well as xylan-coated magnetite microparticles are also described. New application areas and future research directions are discussed also.