Abstract: In the field of nuclear industry, α surface contamination exists in many places. In the case of emergency conditions, it is generally necessary to carry out remote detection of abnormal areas firstly, and then make a plan scientifically based on the measurement results. In view of this situation, technology for remote detection of α particles based on air fluorescence has been proposed internationally. The principle is that nitrogen in the air will emit a specific wavelength of ultraviolet fluorescence through the excitation and deexcitation process under the action of α radiation, allowing the ultraviolet camera to detect α radiation remotely. In China, there are few reports on remote detection of α surface contamination, the research has been pioneered by the 404 Company Limited and Lanzhou University. In this paper, the international development of remote α contamination detecting technology based on nitrogen fluorescence is reviewed, and the latest research work of our team is briefly described, in order to provide reference for promoting research on remote detection of α contamination.