Herbal medicines have been used worldwide, particularly in the Far East countries, for thousands of years. Herbal medicines comprise complex mixtures of different phytochemical substances, and their nature may vary substantially depending on many factors related to the cultivation condition, area and harvest time. The processing of the herbal medicines significantly affects their pharmacological and toxicological properties. In this paper, we discuss current research that deals with the techniques for processing Chinese herbal medicines. These results will provide a scientific basis for developing new techniques for the processing of herbal medicines.