Abstract: The basic theory and development of acoustical holography are reviewed in this paper. Acoustical holographic techniques are classified, and their features are discussed. A number of aspects including widely used calculation methods of near-field holography(NAH) and the scope of their applications, data acquisition methods, resolution of holographic images, and representative methods of acoustical holography are analyzed. The paper emphasizes the present status of NAH based both on sound pressure measurement and sound intensity measurement. Finally, existing problems requiring further studies of these two types of NAH are pointed out, and a preview of the future development is provided.