Abstract: Mountain towns are a class of important objects of concern in the field of urban and rural planning, and many relevant research results have been accumulated in China, but there is a lack of literature review studies. This paper is based on the CNKI database and uses CiteSpace to carry out a metric analysis of mountain town studies in the feld of urban and rural planning from 2000 to 2020. By analyzing the number of publications, collaborative networks, research hotspots and evolution, stages of research development, and main research content, this paper finds:(1) there has been a significant increase in the popularity of relevant research, but a complex network of collaborations has not been formed; (2) the integration of disciplines is obvious, and research hotspots are becoming more detailed and diversifed; (3) the research focuses on three aspects:the theoretical construction of planning in mountain towns, integration with new concepts and policies, and planning and design practice, reflecting the combination of theory and practice. Future research needs to be further deepened and explored in terms of refnement of relevant theories, integration of more diverse concepts, application of new data and technologies, and construction of evaluation systems.