Terahertz spectroscopic techniques have been regarded as competitive methods for the identification of explosives and related compounds. The explosives fingerprint data of various research institutions are reviewed to establish reference databases. The detection of explosives hidden under some materials including cotton, plastic, leather, polyester, cardboard etc. is discussed. The latest research advances of the remote detection of explosives are described. Furthermore，the major issues faced with mixed explosives, complex environment conditions, remote detection on THz detecting explosives in the actual scene and so on have been analyzed. The future trends in a preliminary outlook are pointed out.