To meet changing waterproof demands, joint waterproofing systems have evolved and produced a variety of layout modes, but there is no unified description of a joint waterproofing system of various layout forms in the industry. To unify this topic, the evolution of various shield tunnel segment joint waterproofing systems in China is investigated and analyzed, and the structural characteristics and main application scope of each system generation are elaborated on. The existing joint waterproofing systems have been systematically classified: the traditional first generation joint waterproofing system used single ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastic sealing gaskets, the second generation adopted a single EPDM gasket and water swelling rubber, and the third generation adopted double EPDM gaskets with or without water swelling rubber. Finally, combined with the current construction needs of largescale underwater shield tunnels, the developmental trends of joint waterproofing systems in the future are put forward with respect to the toughness of the waterproofing system, extreme environmental conditions, and durability of the gasket under stress.