According to the situation that damaged natural eco-environment in closed coal mine areas has been impeding ecological civilization construction in China, it is urgent to develop ecological restoration plan to guide concrete actions at the national level. This paper reviews the main features of ecological restoration planning for closed coal mine areas, including scales of implementation, planning aims, and methods. Then achievements made in former studies of ecological restoration planning in closed coal mines are concluded. At last, four prospects of ecological restoration planning in closed coal mines at the national level are proposed, i.e., ecological restoration planning methodology, interdisciplinary integration and talent training, application of advanced technology, and establishment of long-term ecological monitoring and census.

ecological remediation  /  complex ecosystem  /  territorial spatial planning  /  special plan for ecological restoration  /  abandoned coal mines