The research into clinical experience and academic thoughts of famous old Chinese medicine doctors is an important measure to be taken to propel development of Chinese medicine, cultivate a new generation of famous TCM doctors, and enhance clinical application of Chinese medicine. The difference between research based inheritance and traditional apprenticeship is discussed in terms of positioning, objectives and methods. Based on research findings during the ‘ten fifth’ and ‘eleven fifth’, a new research strategy regarding the next phase is lay out.