Through combing and analyzing the research on traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） thinking methods in 2019

the research results on TCM thinking methods are summarized from the aspects of Xiang thinking

TCM clinical thinking

comparison of Chinese and western thinking and five elements thinking. It is pointed out that the concepts and views on the Xiang metaphor

process metaphor

and method and Xiang thinking

dual metaphor of the concept of Xiang

the "flower principle" of the structural characteristics of Xiang and analogy

and the reveal of thinking mechanism of Xiang such as comparative study of Xiang and conceptual metaphor is an outstanding characteristics of TCM research. Meanwhile

there are still problems in the research such as unclear concepts

logical reasoning errors

and generalization of Xiang thinking

which need to be solved urgently.