This paper briefly presents an overview of the physics of circulation, turbulence, mixing and stratification in tidal estuaries, including their physical concepts, contents, approachs and results. Significant progresses have been highlighted. Both the effects of suspended sediment and wind waves have not been taken into account. Classical estuarine circulation has been challenged because of the occurrence of tidal straining. Estuarine circulation is caused by both gravitational circulation and tidal straining circulation. The proposed concept of “Eddy viscosityShear COvariance (ESCO)” may further enable the identifications of gravitational ESCO circulation and tidal ESCO circulation, respectively. Understanding of lateral circulation, especially within the curved channel, has been furthered. Application of vorticity approach to lateral circulation shows that the latter has been caused by the different physical mechanisms and has an important effect on alongchannel estuarine gravitational circulation. Turbulent shear flow in stratified fluids has enhanced our understanding of the physics of turbulence and mixing in tidal estuaries. The potential energy anomaly equation seems to enable our quantitative understanding of the threedimensional temporal and spatial variability of mixing and stratification in tidal estuaries.