Ginger is a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of edible and medicinal use.Studies have shown that fresh gingers and dried gingers are rich in volatile components such as α-gingerene,β-sesquihemichelene,α-curcumene,pinene,and so on,and have pharmacological activities such as antioxidant,bactericidal,anti-inflammatory,and anti-tumor activities.The active ingredients of fresh gingers and dried gingers are consistent,but due to processing and other reasons,there is a certain difference in the proportion of ingredients between fresh gingers and dried gingers,which affects the pharmacological activity of ginger.fresh gingers and dried gingers have good application prospects in the fields of food,medicine and skin care.Therefore,this article summarizes the existing research results at home and abroad,and discuss the extraction method,chemical composition and pharmacological action of volatile oil of fresh gingers and dried gingers,so as to provide theoretical reference for further research and development of volatile oil of fresh gingers and dried gingers.