The Kavalan was recognized as the tenth Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan in 2002. With the success of the identification of ethnic identities, the social and cultural studies of the Kavalan are on the right track. This article reviews and analyzes the research literature of Kavalan from five aspects: the origin of historical distribution, social and cultural changes, historical memory and ethnic identity, gender studies and the revival of traditional crafts, hoping to make a more systematic understanding of the social history and cultural features of the Kavalan.