Malignancies are diseases resulting from an imbalance of cell growth and proliferation， endangering human health and life. Currently， there is no clinically effective treatment for tumors. Tumor cells may alter cell adhesion and tumor cell migration and movement by degrading the extracellular matrix， generating vascular factors， affecting epithelial-mesenchymal transformation， or altering the tumor microenvironment. The mechanisms which lead to multidrug resistance （MDR） are the regulation of membrane proteins， apoptosis-regulated gene expression， enzyme-mediated multidrug resistance， DNA damage repair， and epithelial-stromal transformation， resulting in ineffective treatment of tumors. Therefore， the search for natural， safe， and effective chemosensitizers has become a critical part in tumor research. Due to the increasing use of Chinese medicine in cancer treatment， researchers have conducted more extensive studies on its monomers and compounds. In addition， the mechanisms of Chinese medicine in inhibiting tumor invasion and metastasis and reversing drug resistance are gradually unraveled. The monomers and compounds of Chinese medicine may inhibit tumor invasion， metastasis， and drug resistance by enhancing the sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs and adjuvant properties. Furthermore， they can also improve the tolerance of patients to chemotherapy drugs， relieve side effects of chemotherapy， reduce the chance of recurrence， and prolong the life of patients. The development of traditional Chinese medicine plays an important role in reducing tumor recurrence and metastasis， reversing drug resistance， prolonging the prognosis of cancer patients， improving their quality of life， and prolonging their survival time. Currently， various types of Chinese medicines have been proven to be capable of reducing tumor invasion and metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. The present article reviewed development and findings of Chinese medicine as an anti-tumor invasion， anti-metastasis， and anti-tumor resistance therapy in recent years， in order to provide ideas for future research on anti-tumor effect of active components in Chinese medicine.