With the increasing demand of modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine（ TCM）

it is urgent to make modern scientific explanations on the essence of TCM theories. However

under the limit of small data and reductive analysis

we were facing great difficulties to achieve academic development and innovation of TCM. With the proposal of the concept of big data

we were obliged to dig in the research field of TCM big data to compare the main characters of big data and TCM

to discuss the possibility of TCM academic innovation under the big data background

to try finding out the origins and means of TCM big data by changing the thinking mode of TCM research

and finally to achieve the integration and application of big data with TCM. We explored the realistic problems existing in the construction of TCM big data

as to promote the innovation and development of TCM thinking

TCM basic theories and TCM diagnosis and treatment theories.