OBJECTIVES: The incidence rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been increasing in China. However, the real-world treatment patterns for VTE patients is not well understood. This study aimed to assess patient characteristics and treatment pattern among hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) in China.  METHODS: A large electronic medical record database from three tertiary hospitals in three metropolitan cities was used in this study. Hospitalizations with any diagnosis of DVT or PE from 2009 to 2014 were included. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns with anticoagulants and antiplatelets in these hospitalizations were described.  RESULTS: A total of 1,169 DVT and 324 PE related hospitalizations were included. The DVT sample had a mean age of 56, 40.8% women, 47.0% provoked VTE, and 15.1% critical/emergent admissions. The PE sample had a mean age of 63, 45.7% women, 41.0% provoked VTE and 42.6% critical/emergent admissions. The most common comorbidities included hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and heart failure (26.3%, 17.1%, 10.0% and 5.0% for DVT and 38.9%, 17.3%, 11.1% and 17.9% for PE). 24.0% of DVT related hospitalizations received anticoagulant therapy only, 13.4% had antiplatelet only, 43.8% had both, while 18.8% had neither. The corresponding numbers for PE were 38.3%, 3.1%, 50.9% and 7.7%, respectively. The most commonly used anticoagulant agent was low molecular weight heparin or fondaparinux (LMWH/F), accounting for 73.8% and 81.7% of anticoagulant use for DVT and PE, followed by unfractionated heparin (55.7% and 70.9%) and warfarin (35.6% and 63.3%). Among anticoagulant users, 42.6% and 75.1% DVT and PE related hospitalizations, respectively, had more than one anticoagulant.  CONCLUSIONS: Majority, but not all VTE patients received anticoagulants or antiplatelet revealing gaps in clinical practice among hospitalized patients with VTE in China. LMWH/F was the most commonly used anticoagulant in VTE-related hospitalizations.