The concept of channel tropism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is derived from Huang Di Nei Jing, and is now an important part of the TCM theory. The meridians and viscera affiliations of diseases treated by TCM drugs are the clinical bases of the TCM channel tropism theory. And the five-flavor characteristics of TCM drugs are the theoretical bases of the TCM channel tropism theory. Therefore, the mutual reference of both of them constitutes the TCM channel tropism theory. Recently, with the continuous development of modern sciences, many in vivo and in vitro experimental studies from the perspectives of medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics have confirmed that the distribution of active ingredients in some TCM herbs was consistent with their channel tropism, and the effects of the herbs were also consistent with their channel tropism, which verified the scientific nature of the TCM channel tropism theory. In clinical practice, the channel tropism theory, as an important theory for TCM, has important guiding significance for the clinical prescription and selection of drugs based on results of syndrome differentiation and disease differentiation. In addition, for the accurate selection of appropriate flavours of drugs and processing specifications, the channel tropism theory and other TCM knowledge are also important theoretical bases.