Anthocyanin is widely distributed in plant organs such as root, stem, leaf, flower and fruit, being a kind of secondary metabolites generated in plant morphogenesis or for stress response. Leaf anthocyanin has special chemical structure and spectral properties, playing important roles in plant photoprotection, and becomes a hotspot in plant photosynthetic physiological ecology. This paper summarized the recent research progress in the effects of leaf anthocyanin on plant photosynthesis, including the distribution of leaf anthocyanin, its spectral properties, and its relationships with photosynthetic pigments, with the focus on the potential mechanisms of anthocyanins photoprotection, including light absorption, antioxidation, and osmotic regulation. The further research directions on the effects of leaf anthocyanin on photoprotection were proposed.