Silicon carbide (SiC) crystal can be used as a passive monitor to measure the neutron irradiation temperature in nuclear reactors, which has significant application prospects for advanced reactors operating in high-temperature intense irradiation environments. Since the SiC temperature measurement technique was proposed in the 1960s, various temperature measurement methods have been developed on basis of neutron irradiation effects in the structural, thermal and electrical properties of SiC. These methods involve measuring changes in macro-size, density, thermal diffusivity or the electrical resistivity of SiC. This study summarizes the fundamental principles and characteristics of these methods firstly, then the research progress on SiC temperature measurement system required for advanced nuclear reactors at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) is emphatically reported, and the measurement accuracy of SiC monitor is analyzed by calculating the lattice swelling rate of the neutron-irradiated SiC using a theoretical model, which verified the reliability of the temperature measurement results of the system. Finally, experimental methods for further improving measurement efficiency of SiC monitor are discussed.