Abstract: As debris flows usually occur abruptly and rapidly in mountainous areas, it is difficult to observe their initiation and occurrence process. Therefore, the physical simulation experiment has been adopted as an important method to study debris flow initiation mechanism by more and more scientists. In recent years, many physical simulation experiments have been carried out and related phenomenon have played an important role both in mechanism research and in disaster mitigation. However, compared to the complex process of debris flow initiation and occurrence, there usually are some limits in the condition of physical simulation experiments. In this paper, based on data collection and analysis, advances in the physical simulation experiments including runoff type and artificial rainfall type were summarized in detail. And then by comparing the experimental study progress of both nationwide and worldwide, some factors that should be further taken into account in the physical simulation experiments on debris flow initiation were discussed. In the end of this paper, some related advices on future physical simulation experiments on debris flow initiation were put forward in the following aspects: To further improve the similarity of experimental condition, such as runoff density, rainfall type and soil characteristics, to further study the relation between debris flow initiation and the physical and dynamic variation of soil mass, and to further carry out some comprehensive experiments in which all the rainfall process, runoff process and material-supplying process are all involved.