Abstract: The depositional characteristics of contourite and its difference with other deep-water deposits,including occurrence,composition,texture,sedimentary structure,vertical sequence and relationship with sea level change,were discussed in this paper based on the research results from domestic and international sources.As a kind of important deep-water deposits of traction flow,contourite contains sufficient information on paleoceanography and paleoclimatology,and has become a hotspot of research in the world.Contourites are specially characterized by symmetrical grading sequence and high bioturbation.In terms of oil accumulation,contourite is a better reservoir than turbidite.The South China Sea is the only marginal sea with ocean crust in China.There is evidence showing that contourite widely exist in the northern slope of South China Sea and is an ideal site for research of contour currents.However,the types,geometric features and the controlling factors in the South China Sea remain unclear and further studies are required.