Abstract: Red beds serves as the widely distributed and unique-characterized disaster-prone strata. Its catastrophe research is one of the cutting-edge topics in the field of engineering geology. The scale of the red beds distribution area in China is tremendous, and its disasters are prominent. It is mainly manifested in the three major types of geological hazards, engineering diseases, and ecological damage. They make the sustainable economic and social development of the red beds area facing unprecedented disaster hazards and risks. They seriously threaten the implementation of major national strategies. However, it is difficult to adapt to the major challenges caused by the disaster theory and prevention and control technology of traditional red beds, which need to be solved urgently. Therefore, in this study, we clarify the overview of red beds around home and abroad through detailed investigations, in-depth thinking, and systematic sorting out. Then, we analyse the current status and development trends of the basic research of red beds disaster, and clarifying the three major international cutting-edge scientific issues. The three key scientific issues that need to be resolved in the basic research of red beds are proposed. Simultaneously, the main research ideas, contents, and solutions are explained. These thoughts are supporting problems such as red beds geological genes, cause mechanisms, toughness coordination prevention and control of the disaster. It can ensure the efficient implementation of major national strategies in the red beds area, ensure the safety of human settlement, the construction of ecological civilization, and the sustainable development of social economy. Furthermore, it can lead the world red beds catastrophic research.