On the basis of field visits of the ecological reclamation projects in the United States abandoned coal mine, along with the relevant literature, we reviewed the current practices in the United States on their management, funding usage, and the technical route of the ecological reclamation and restoration of mine waste. Engineering measures of ecological restoration for abandoned coal mine were described with several examples. A new idea named "Geomorphic Reclamation" was introduced as a fundamental shift in the current theory and practice of ecological restoration of mining sites, which is an integrated approach, learning from Nature, along with the combination of geomorphic, topological, soil, ecological, hydrologic and climate/weather conditions, for the planning, design and implication of ecological reclamation and restoration. We address the potential of Geomorphic Reclamation in China and outline how such positive and potentially far-reaching impact approach can be used in Chinese mining restoration and management.