The emission control requirements of the shipping industry become higher and higher with the increasing concern of the international community to the environmental protection. Green ship has been one of the hot spots in the shipping industry in recent years, and it is also a powerful driving force for the efficient and sustainable development of the shipping industry. This article reviews the development of the green ship design, and analyzes the technical points and the typical design cases of the green ship design, as well as looks forward to the possible challenges in the future, which can provide reference for the development and application of the green ship technology.