Oplopanax elatus Nakai is an endangered and precious medicinal material in Changbai Mountain area. It contains saponins, volatile oil, flavonoids and other chemical components, and has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory,anti-oxidation, anti-fatigue, anti-cancer and central nervous system regulation activities. Due to the narrow distribution area of wild resources and man-made overexploitation, the resource protection and sustainable utilization of O. elatus have attracted extensive attention in recent years. In this review, we summarized the resource distribution,cultivation techniques, chemical components and pharmacological activities of O. elatus to provide reference for the further development and utilization.