Spleen and stomach disorders are common and frequently encountered conditions in clinical practice，and throughout history，physicians have emphasized the importance of fortifying the spleen and stomach.Professor TANG Xudong，based on the academic ideas of Academician DONG Jianhua's “theory of unblocking and descending” and combining his own clinical experience，developed a new eight-pronged differentiation framework for spleen and stomach diseases，i.e.，“Zang-Fu，deficiency and excess，qi and blood，cold and heat”.This framework serves as both a specific guide and operational technique for differentiating digestive system diseases in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)，as well as a practical method for implementing the “theory of unblocking and descending”.Professor TANG proposed the “harmonizing the middle to restore balance” theory as a specific therapeutic approach under the guidance of the new eight-pronged framework.The term “harmonizing” refers to modulation and regulation; “middle” refers to the central region of the spleen and stomach; “restore” means recovery; “balance” refers to equilibrium.The “middle” is the target of the harmonizing，“restore” is the effect of the harmonizing，and “balance” is the goal of the harmonizing.Since “the spleen and stomach are the acquired foundation”，the “harmonizing the middle to restore balance” approach emphasizes the core role of the spleen and stomach function in the central region，as well as the importance of normalizing the ascending and descending function of the middle energizer and coordinating the functions of the five Zang organs.Chronic gastritis(CG) is one of the most common digestive diseases in clinical practice.Professor TANG Xudong，taking into account the new social environment，applied the new eight-pronged differentiation framework for spleen and stomach disorders to offer a fresh interpretation of the etiology and pathogenesis of CG.Using the “harmonizing the middle to restore balance” theory，Professor TANG Xudong has successfully treated CG，yielding good clinical results，and this approach is worthy of wider promotion.