This paper reviews the history and present situation of research on soil mineral composition and mineralogical types in China, explores research hotspots and difficulties, and provides reference for scientific, accurate and convenient judgment and determination of soil mineralogical types in soil genetic classification or systematic classification. CNKI database was searched by bibliometric retrieval method and 265 articles on soil mineral composition and mineralogical types were collected. This paper analyzed the research direction, subject research focus and research methods, development trend and existing problems of such work over recent 70 years. Soil minerals contain primary minerals and secondary clay minerals, normally affected by parent rock types, environmental climates, weathering, formation time, and the soil composition is complex and varied. In the process of soil formation and evolution, soil minerals have an impact on soil texture, biochemical characteristics, nutrient released, etc. Soil mineral composition is an important reference and basis for both soil texture genetic classification and soil systematic classification. To determine the mineralogical type, it is necessary to define the target soil control layers and particle sizes first. On this premise, the main mineral components are determined and their content levels are analyzed by physical or chemical methods, and the mineralogical type of the target soil is finally determined by comprehensively judging the content level of major mineral components in a certain particle size level within the specific control layers. Soil mineral composition is an important index of soil classification. Besides the relevant techniques of direct determination of mineral composition and content levels, it is of practical significance to explore and summarize the characteristic of mineral composition and distribution in soils so as to obtain soil mineral species easily, rapidly and at low cost.