Dendrobium officinale is a perennial epiphytic herb of Dendrobium genus of Orchidaceae， which enjoys the reputation of 'life-saving herb' in China's folklore. It contains polysaccharides， alkaloids， flavonoids and other bioactive ingredients， which together make it good at improving immunity， balancing inflammation， regulating glucose and lipid metabolism， and promoting the health of gastrointestinal tract， ect. On November 9 2023， Dendrobium was officially added as 'food and medicine of the same origin' substance， which expanded its application prospects in the field of healthy food by the National Health and Health Commission of the People's Republic of China and State Administration for Market Regulation. This paper summarized the research history of Dendrobium officinale from 'cultivation and planting' to 'its functional components' and 'its processing characteristics'， and also summarized the research progress of its main functional substance， Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide， in all aspects. At the same time， this paper also elaborated the current situation of Dendrobium herb deep-processing， and analyzed the key problem and future direction of Dendrobium officinale industrialization， in order to provide reference for the innovative application of Dendrobium officinale in the health industry.