HBV is a major health problem faced by human beings. The study of the mechanism of HBV infection has been a key point in this field. To carry out the related research on HBV,establishment of simple and available in vivo and in vitro infection models is the trend. Due to the close relationship between tree shrews and human/primates,the tree shrew model of HBV infection has attracted more and more attention. This review summarizes recent research,both at home and abroad,about in vivo and in vitro HBV infection in tree shrews,especially the research progress in in vitro culture of primary hepatocytes of tree shrews,and looks to the future research directions as well.