As a fuel cladding materials of the nuclear reactor, water side corrosion and hydrogen absorption generated in zirconium alloys which due to the embrittlement of matrix and hydrogen induced delayed cracking. The hydride phases, hydride orientation and the effect of hydride orientation on mechanical properties of zirconium alloys were reviewed. The crystallographic orientation relationship between α-Zr matrix and hydrides(γ and δ), the effect of texture, Q value, stress and annealing temperature on hydride orientation, the effect of hydride orientation on mechanical properties of zirconium alloy were primarily discussed. Meanwhile, the current problems were analyzed, for example, the mechanism of hydride orientation was not clear, the mechanism of hydride stress reorientation was controversial, etc. It was pointed out that the hydride orientation, crystallographic orientation relationship between hydrides and Zr matrix, hydride stress reorientation in Zr alloys require further investigation. Furthermore, the research on the hydrides in domestic new type high performance Zr alloy needs to be carried out.