Objective To establish a ICP-MS method for the determination of trace elements in six traditional Chinese medicines. Methods Samples were digested by closed-versel microwave. The seven trace elements of Pb，Mn，Cd，Cu，Cr，Zn and Ni were directly analyzed by ICP-MS. Results For all of the analyzed trace elements， the correlative coefficient of the calibration curves was over 0.9991. The recovery rates of the procedure were 89.3% to 107.6%， and its RSD was lower than 10.9%. Conclusion This method was convenient， quick-acquired， accurate and highly sensitive. The method can be used for the quality control of trace elements in traditional Chinese medicines and for the contents determination of traditional Chinese medicines from different habitats and species.