A traffic flow forwarding path redirection method, comprising: determining, by a redirection apparatus, a redirection parameter of a virtual network element through which a traffic flow passes, wherein the virtual network element comprises multiple physical network elements, the redirection apparatus is configured to redirect a current forwarding path that is of the traffic flow and that is in the multiple physical network elements, the redirection parameter is used to indicate an inbound interface of a start physical network element on the current forwarding path and an outbound interface of an end physical network element on the current forwarding path, and the multiple physical network elements comprise the start physical network element and the end physical network element; establishing, by the redirection apparatus according to a topological relationship of the multiple physical network elements in the virtual network element and the redirection parameter, a redirection path that is used to forward the traffic flow and that is between the inbound interface of the start physical network element and the outbound interface of the end physical network element; generating, by the redirection apparatus, tunnel forwarding information of the redirection path, wherein the tunnel forwarding information of the redirection path comprises a first packet label corresponding to each physical network element in at least two physical network elements on the redirection path, and the at least two physical network elements on the redirection path are a subset of the multiple physical network elements; and sending, by the redirection apparatus to the at least two physical network elements on the redirection path, the first packet labels respectively corresponding to the at least two physical network elements, so that the at least two physical network elements on the redirection path forward a packet in the traffic flow on the redirection path in a tunnel manner. determining, by a redirection apparatus, a redirection parameter of a virtual network element through which a traffic flow passes, wherein the virtual network element comprises multiple physical network elements, the redirection apparatus is configured to redirect a current forwarding path that is of the traffic flow and that is in the multiple physical network elements, the redirection parameter is used to indicate an inbound interface of a start physical network element on the current forwarding path and an outbound interface of an end physical network element on the current forwarding path, and the multiple physical network elements comprise the start physical network element and the end physical network element; establishing, by the redirection apparatus according to a topological relationship of the multiple physical network elements in the virtual network element and the redirection parameter, a redirection path that is used to forward the traffic flow and that is between the inbound interface of the start physical network element and the outbound interface of the end physical network element; generating, by the redirection apparatus, tunnel forwarding information of the redirection path, wherein the tunnel forwarding information of the redirection path comprises a first packet label corresponding to each physical network element in at least two physical network elements on the redirection path, and the at least two physical network elements on the redirection path are a subset of the multiple physical network elements; and sending, by the redirection apparatus to the at least two physical network elements on the redirection path, the first packet labels respectively corresponding to the at least two physical network elements, so that the at least two physical network elements on the redirection path forward a packet in the traffic flow on the redirection path in a tunnel manner.