Abstract: Because rock tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been used in China for nearly 60 years, understanding the development history of the TBM tunneling technology in China is useful to learn its current status correctly and determine the development trend in the next step. Accordingly, the authors thoroughly examined five development stages of the current status of TBM tunneling technology in China in detail from 10 perspectives, including scale, distribution area, distribution field, excavation diameter, construction method, construction period, type, brand, component, and construction enterprise. The development trends of TBM tunneling technology in China are put forward as follows: (1)On a larger scale, it will go through a fluctuating development process of rising, leveling, falling, and stabilizing, and is currently rising. The western region will be the primary focus, and the water conservation, hydropower, and rail transit projects will be the primary fields soon. (2)The combination of the TBM method and drillandblast method will exist for a long time, whereas the TBM method will take a larger proportion and bore longer in the same project. (3)The support technology system will usher in significant changes. (4)The TBM tunneling technology in complex geology is being fully developed and practiced, and a significant breakthrough is about to be achieved. (5)New TBMs, including inclined shaft TBM, vertical shaft TBM, micro TBM, superlarge diameter TBM, composite (multimode) TBM, specialshaped crosssection TBM, etc.〖KG-*3〗, have been developed and applied, and are making great progress. They will become popular once they have reached maturity, and the key TBM components will be nationalized in the future. (6)The big data technology, artificial intelligence technology, and 5G technology will promote intelligent TBM tunneling.

Key words: rock tunnel boring machine (TBM), development history, current status, prospects, support, complex geology, new TBM, micro TBM, intelligent construction