Hot tearing is one of the most severe and irreversible casting defects for many metallic materials. In 2004, Eskin et al. published a review paper in which the development of hot tearing of aluminium alloys was evaluated (Eskin and Suyitno, 2004). Sixteen years have passed and this domain has undergone considerable development. Nevertheless, an updated systematic description of this field has not been presented. Therefore, this article presents the latest research status of the hot tearing during the casting of aluminium alloys. The first part explains the hot tearing phenomenon and its occurrence mechanism. The second part presents a detailed description and analysis of the characterisation methods of the mushy zone mechanical properties and hot tearing susceptibility. The third part presents considerable data pertaining to the mushy zone behaviour, including those of the linear contraction and load behaviour during solidification, semi-solid strength and ductility, and characteristic points related to hot tearing. The fourth part examines the effect of the composition and casting process parameters on the hot tearing susceptibility of aluminium alloys. The fifth part describes the hot tearing simulations and the associated criteria and mechanisms. Finally, recommendations for the further development of hot tearing research are presented.