Background: Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for more than 2000 years, but reliable evidence of its effect is still lacking. With the development of evidence-based medicine (EBM), the challenge to TCM becomes even more relentless, but it also brings new concepts to solve some problems of TCM. Objectives: To investigate the dissemination and application of EBM in the field of TCM. Methods: We did a comprehensive search for information about the application of EBM in TCM on the internet and in medical databases (Pubmed, CBM, The Cochrane Library). Information about the development of EBM organizations, EBM education, EBM projects and papers in the field of TCM were included. Results: Four EBM organizations of TCM were established by March, 2008. They are the EBM center of Tianjin University of TCM, EBM center of China Academy of TCM, EBM center of Beijing University of TCM, and Shanghai EBM Research Center of TCM. The first two centers are ‘Regional Practice Centers of the the Chinese Cochrane Center’. The main work of these organizations is in education and EBM practice in TCM, including teachers’ training, students’ education and research. Since 2003, 66 chief instructors from 23 TCM organizations have received the training of EBM and Cochrane systematic review (CSR) in the Chinese Cochrane Center. After having been well trained, they could register and produce CSR, teach and research in their organization. Since 2000, there were 34 funded projects (conservative figure) of EBM research in TCM. After the search, we got 2808 items in Pubmed and 392 items in CBM of EBM and TCM. We identified 683 reviews and protocols in The Cochrane Library (2008). About 12% of them were produced by Chinese scholars. Conclusions: The results indicate that EBM has a great influence for the development of TCM, including the EBM organization, EBM education, EBM research and paper. However, we should realize that the application of EBM in TCM is in the initial stage, and there are many challenging problems to be solved. The collision and combination of TCM and EBM will enrich the contents of the EBM and promote its further perfection and development.