Natural gas hydrate is an important energy resource, necessitating strengthening its exploration. Natural gas hydrates exist under conditions of low temperature and high pressure, and changes in the external environment will lead to the decomposition of gas hydrate and seafloor methane seepage. Therefore, it is important to study the seafloor methane seepage. The South China Sea is the largest marginal sea in the Western Pacific and is a natural laboratory for gas hydrate research. The evolution of methane seep activity process, the origin of methane seep authigenic minerals and their relationship with 〖JP2〗methane activity are emerging issues in the field of event sedimentology, and some research directions have made outstanding progress. This paper summarizes the basic understanding about methane seepage events in the South China Sea in recent years, which includes (1) origin and source of methane, (2) geological, geochemical and geophysical identification of methane seepage, (3) methane flux variation and its controlling mechanism. Based on the current research progress, we propose future research methods and directions of seafloor methane seepage.Meanwhile, we suggest making the seafloor methane seep area in the Qiongdongnan basin of the South China Sea as the potential area for further drilling by China ocean drilling vessel.