The invention discloses a Chinese medicinal composition for treating depression. The medicine adopts lilies, semen ziziphi apinosae, curcuma longa, hypericum perforatum L., perilla, ginseng, and radix bupleuri as raw materials, which are then separate and extracted by 0-75% ethanol so as to be prepared into certain preparation form. The above six drugs used together can soothe liver and relieve depression, reconcile and activate qi, tranquilize the mind and calm the nerves, and can be used for mild and moderate depression and patients belonging to stagnation of qi due to depression of liver, as well as heart-spleen deficiency. Pharmacodynamic research indicates that: the medicinal composition has substantial antagonistic effects on reserpine induced depression models, mouse akinesia and hypothermia, and can increase the spontaneous movements of tail suspension and forced swimming induced despair animal models, as well as the immobility time of tail suspension and swimming. Clinical research results show that a HAMD (Hamilton depression scale) used for evaluating depression severity and Chinese medicinal syndromes before and after treatment are taken as main curative effect indexes, which show that the Chinese medicinal composition in the invention has substantial curative effects. The composition provided in the invention can be prepared into medically acceptable oral preparations, such as tablets, capsules (soft capsules and hard capsules), granules, and other preparation forms. Clinical effects and pharmacodynamic research prove that the Chinese medicinal composition of the invention has the functions of liver soothing and depression relieving, mind tranquilizing as well as nerve calming, and is an effective medicine special for depression treatment.