Oil generation in the continental shale has laid the resource foundation for the originality and development of China’s petroleum industry; continental shale oil production is blazing a new trail in this field. In this paper, based on the geological conditions of continental shale oil in China, it is found that the main types of shale oil generally have four basic geological characteristics, which are large-scale continuous distribution, the domination of inorganic pores, the enrichment of "sweet areas" , and initial production that is controlled by relatively high organic maturity and high yield that is governed by relatively high formation pressure. Then, as examples for the geological characteristics and development practice of continental shale oil, four key areas of Longdong, Gulong, Jimsar, and Jiyang are systematically summarized. Finally, the future prospects of continental shale oil in China are put forward. Middle-high maturity shale oil is currently the main force of development, and middle-low maturity shale oil also has a considerable development prospect after technological improvement. Meanwhile, "sweet area/spot sections" assessment and technological innovation are still research areas to be improved.