A packet processing system, comprising: an ingress network element, configured to receive a data packet from the outside of the packet processing system, and send the data packet to a processing network element according to an ingress flow entry, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information and a processing network element indication, the flow description information matches the data packet, and the processing network element indication is used to indicate a processing network element that processes the data packet after the ingress network element; the processing network element, configured to receive the data packet from the ingress network element, and perform context processing on the data packet according to a context processing indication, wherein the context processing indication is used to indicate the context processing performed on the data packet, wherein the processing network element indication comprises a context processing indication list, wherein the context processing indication list comprises the context processing indication; the ingress network element is specifically configured to attach the context processing indication list to the data packet, determine that next context processing to be performed on the data packet is the context processing indicated by the context processing indication, and send the data packet to the processing network element according to a correspondence between the context processing indication and the processing network element; and the processing network element is specifically configured to acquire the context processing indication list from the data packet, and perform the context processing on the data packet according to the context processing indication; wherein when the context processing indication list does not comprise another context processing indication, the processing network element is further configured to send the processed data packet to the outside of the packet processing system; or when the context processing indication list further comprises another context processing indication, the processing network element is further configured to determine that next context processing to be performed on the data packet is context processing indicated by the another context processing indication, and after the processing network element performs the context processing on the data packet, send the processed data packet to another processing network element according to a correspondence between the another context processing indication and the another processing network element, wherein the another context processing indication is used to indicate the context processing performed on the data packet. an ingress network element, configured to receive a data packet from the outside of the packet processing system, and send the data packet to a processing network element according to an ingress flow entry, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information and a processing network element indication, the flow description information matches the data packet, and the processing network element indication is used to indicate a processing network element that processes the data packet after the ingress network element; the processing network element, configured to receive the data packet from the ingress network element, and perform context processing on the data packet according to a context processing indication, wherein the context processing indication is used to indicate the context processing performed on the data packet, wherein the processing network element indication comprises a context processing indication list, wherein the context processing indication list comprises the context processing indication; the ingress network element is specifically configured to attach the context processing indication list to the data packet, determine that next context processing to be performed on the data packet is the context processing indicated by the context processing indication, and send the data packet to the processing network element according to a correspondence between the context processing indication and the processing network element; and the processing network element is specifically configured to acquire the context processing indication list from the data packet, and perform the context processing on the data packet according to the context processing indication; wherein when the context processing indication list does not comprise another context processing indication, the processing network element is further configured to send the processed data packet to the outside of the packet processing system; or when the context processing indication list further comprises another context processing indication, the processing network element is further configured to determine that next context processing to be performed on the data packet is context processing indicated by the another context processing indication, and after the processing network element performs the context processing on the data packet, send the processed data packet to another processing network element according to a correspondence between the another context processing indication and the another processing network element, wherein the another context processing indication is used to indicate the context processing performed on the data packet.