Large igneous province (LIP) refers to the igneous province produced by massive magmatic eruption and intrusion (area ＞10. 5 km. 2, volume ＞10. 5 km. 3) within a relatively short time interval (usually ＜3 Ma). Since the LIP was proposed, important progress has been made in many aspects, but there are still many debates on its genesis and its effects on continental fragmentation, material cycling, environmental effects, biological extinction, and mineralization effects. With a review of the definition and evolution of LIP, the present study provides a comprehensive discussion of the above issues, including: ① Mantle plume model for the genesis of mafic large igneous province (MLIP) and its remaining issues; ② The role of water in the formation of MLIP; ③ Alternative models for MLIP; ④ Genesis of the silicic large igneous province (SLIP) and its genetic relationship to MLIP; ⑤ The coupling relationship between LIP and supercontinental breakup; ⑥ Carbon and sulfur cycles in LIP and their impact on the global environment and mass extinction; ⑦ The relationship between LIP and globe sea level rise, greenhouse effect and oceanic anoxic events; ⑧ LIPs effect on the surface topography. Finally, we raised several important issues that require to be solved and the related possible methods in the future study.