With the advancement of material synthesis methods, a wide range of two-dimensional (2D) materials with exceptional properties, such as graphene, boron nitride, MXenes, and black phosphorus, have emerged, making the study of 2D material colloidal liquid crystals and their self-assembly behaviors increasingly important. Alpha-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP), a typical layered material, has significant applications in fields such as mechanical reinforcement, barrier enhancement, flame retardancy, corrosion resistance, catalysis, environmental protection, energy, and medicine. Due to the ability of α-ZrP crystals to be exfoliated into monolayer nanosheets through various chemical methods, and its advantages of controllable synthesis, low polydispersity, and stable physicochemical properties, α-ZrP has been systematically studied as a physical template for research on 2D material colloidal liquid crystals. This article provides a detailed discussion on the synthesis methods, exfoliation techniques, self-assembly into liquid crystals, and regulatory strategies of α-ZrP. The main factors influencing the liquid crystal phase transitions of α-ZrP include the aspect ratio, polydispersity, temperature, ion concentration, electric field, magnetic field, and spherical particle mixing. Changes in these regulatory conditions lead to diverse phase behaviors and phase structures. This article also explores the potential applications of α-ZrP as a next-generation functional material and highlights the importance of research on its liquid crystal phase transitions as a significant reference for the study of 2D material colloidal liquid crystals and the assembly of 2D materials into macroscopic structures.