The invention relates to a method for extracting paclitaxel from taxus chinensis branches and leaves, and the method comprises the following steps of: (1) soaking 1000 kg of pulverized taxus chinensis branches and leaves by using 5 m<3> of methanol, and filtering; (2) decoloring filter liquor; (3) decompressing and concentrating a decolored solution, and extracting; (4) degreasing and dewaxing extract liquor, crystallizing, depositing, filtering, and drying to obtain a primary product; (5) removing impurities contained in the primary product in a silicagel column, carrying out gradient elution, collecting paclitaxel-containing elution flows, and decompressing and concentrating to obtain a crude product; (6) stirring the crude product into silica gel, packing, carrying out gradient elution, collecting the paclitaxel-containing elution flows, and decompressing and concentrating to obtain a semi-finished product; (7) dissolving the semi-finished product, adding petroleum ether, standing, filtering, and drying to obtain a semi-finished product with the content more than or equal to 30%; (8) removing the impurities contained in the semi-finished product obtained from the step (7) in a silicagel column, carrying out gradient elution, collecting the paclitaxel-containing elution flows, and decompressing and concentrating to obtain a semi-finished product with the content more than or equal to 95%; and (9) dissolving the semi-finished product obtained from the step (8), filtering, adding normal hexane, standing, carrying out suction filtration; and drying to obtain a finished product with the content more than or equal to 99%.