By using the theory of planar dynamical systems to a compound KdV-type nonlinear wave equation, the bifurcation boundaries of the system are obtained in this paper. These bifurcation sets divide the parameter space into different regions, which correspond to qualitatively different phase portraits and therefore different types of the solutions may exist in different regions. The parameter conditions for the existence of solitary wave solutions and uncountably infinite, many smooth and non-smooth, periodic wave solutions are therefore obtained.