Abstract: Green hydropower is one of the hot topics in the interdisciplinary research of hydropower construction, environmental protection, construction management, etc. The concept is of importance to state-of-the-art hydropower exploration concepts, technology, and management. First, this study reviewed the development history of hydropower exploration in China. The practices are fully acknowledged on their comprehensiveness of all aspects and adjustability regarding differences between projects. Social and ecological benefits of the hydropower projects are well recognized, where water ecosystem health has been improved and regional economic development has been promoted. Second, the basic definition, characteristics, and development evolution model of green hydropower were proposed in this study based on the mutual coupling relationship of society, environment, and engineering. Finally, via discussing the core technologies and successful practices in the development of green hydropower, including environmental protection of hydrology, water and sediment, mitigation of gas supersaturation, and watershed connection for habitat and life cycle carbon footprint management, intelligent construction and smart management were retrieved to be the two primary research areas to enhance high-quality infrastructure design, construction, operation and maintenance, and final decommission of hydropower projects in the future. This study results can provide a reference for promoting the science, technology and management development of green hydropower, including upcoming hydropower explosion in the high-altitude Southwest China, clean energy project development, and hydropower-wind-solar-complemented green energy supplying.