Traditional Chinese painting (TCP) is an invaluable cultural heritage resource and a unique visual art style. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the digitalization of TCP for cultural preservation and revitalization. The resulting digital copies have enabled the advancement of computational methods for a structured and systematic understanding of TCP. To explore this topic, we conduct an in-depth analysis of 94 pieces of literature. We examine the current use of computer technologies on TCP from three perspectives, based on numerous conversations with specialists. First, in light of the “Six Principles of Painting” theory, we categorize the articles according to their research focus on artistic elements. Second, we create a four-stage framework to illustrate the purposes of TCP applications. Third, we summarize the popular computational techniques applied to TCP. This work also provides insights into potential applications and prospects, with professional opinion.