Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a major chronic disease which endangers human health terribly.Clinical practice has proved that traditional Chinese medicine has obvious curative effect concerning alleviating clinical symptoms,protecting kidney function and delaying the progression of kidney disease,which has greatly improved the quality of life of patients with CRF.Through the analysis of relevant literature in recent years,the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic renal failure,syndrome differentiation and treatment,specific prescription of TCM for CRF,single Chinese herbs and Chinese patent medicine,and the external treatment of TCM were summarized.Moreover,suggestions and conceptions for further research of CRF were made.