ObjectiveTo understand the research advance of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on cholangiocarcinoma. MethodDomestic and international publications online which involving the research of PDT on cholangiocarcinoma in recent years were reviewed. Results①PDT was a new therapy on tumor from the tissue and cell level, which could destroy the target tissue and cell under the photochemical reaction and kill the tumor cell according to the characteristics of the selective intake of tumor tissue on particular photosensitizer. It could mainly induce tumor cell apoptosis and necrosis, destroy the tumor microvascular, stimulate the immune and inflammatory response.②PDT on the research level of the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma had achieved fairly good curative effects, which could make the tumor shrinkage, reduce the harm to normal bile duct cell, and prolong the survival, improve the survival rate and the quality of life.③Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) played important roles in the development of cholangiocarcinoma. PDT could inhibit the expressions of PCNA, VEGF-C, and COX-2, and then could promote cell apoptosis, and then inhibit cell proliferation. ConclusionsPDT is a new technology in treatment of malignant tumor, which whether used alone or combined with other methods has less adverse reaction and could obviously improve the local symptoms in treatment of cholangiocarcinoma. But many problems about PDT need to be solved at present, in the base areas, such as research and development of new photosensitizer and precise mechanism of killing tumor, in the clinical applications, such as selection and application of photosensitizer, ways and parameters of the laser, formulation of treatment plans and the reduction of the complications.