Abstract: In the context of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, China is continuously promoting the upgrading of industrial and energy structures, advocating for green, environmentally friendly, and low−carbon development. The massive accumulation of coal gangue in our country has led to serious waste of resources and may trigger a series of environmental issues. The effective treatment and resource utilization of coal gangue have become urgent tasks for the coal industry. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of coal gangue in the fields of metal extraction, material preparation, combustion utilization, and ecological restoration. Coal gangue can recover metal elements such as aluminum, iron, and the "three rare" elements, but the recovery process is prone to produce a large amount of waste acid and slag, posing potential environmental pollution risks. In addition, coal gangue can not only serve as traditional building materials such as concrete aggregate, brick, and cement raw materials but can also be used to prepare high−value−added new materials such as porous ceramics and zeolites. The application of co−combustion technology helps to improve the thermal energy utilization efficiency of coal gangue and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a soil conditioner, coal gangue shows promising prospects in ecological restoration, but attention should be paid to the risk of secondary pollution caused by heavy metal ions. Based on the current problems and challenges in the treatment of coal gangue, this review systematically explores the path of future high−quality development of coal gangue, and proposes the use of a variety of utilization methods combined with the strategy to achieve the resourceful utilization of coal gangue, which in turn promotes the coordinated development of the economy, environment and social benefits.