Local irregular topographies have significant effects on seismic waves. Topographic features can cause scattering and diffraction of incoming seismic waves，resulting in amplifications and de-amplifications of earthquake ground motions. The problem is an interdisciplinary research topic of seismology，earthquake engineering and civil engineering. The canyon，a common topographic feature， can significantly modify the ground motions. A large number of infrastructures such as dams and bridges have been built in such sites. Thus，the effect of seismic amplification on the engineering facilities in the canyon sites cannot be ignored. The paper summarizes the research results on the topographic amplification effects of seismic wave in canyon sites，sums up the research methods in this field，and puts forward the prospect for the future development of this field，aiming to provide reference for relevant researchers.