A method for discovering a small cell, characterized in that the method comprises: triggering, by a base station managing a macro cell, receiving of a specific signal by a User Equipment, UE, by notifying, via the macro cell, the UE of the specific signal; when the specific signal supports UE measurement, executing, by the UE, measurement according to the specific signal; and recognizing and determining, by the UE, a small cell corresponding to a received specific signal, and reporting, to the base station, information on a determined small cell, wherein a specific signal keeps being sent in a small cell under the macro cell regardless of whether the small cell is configured or activated for a UE, wherein the method further comprises: after the triggering, by the base station, receiving of the specific signal by the UE, receiving, by the base station, information on any small cell discovered and determined to report by the UE according to the received specific signal; and selecting, by the base station, part or all of the any small cell reported by the UE, and configuring such a selected small cell as a candidate serving small cell of the UE, wherein the method further comprises: after the selecting, by the base station, part or all of the any small cell reported by the UE, and configuring such a selected small cell as a candidate serving small cell of the UE, triggering, by the base station, sending of a candidate serving small cell measuring signal to the UE; receiving, by the base station, a candidate serving small cell measuring result reported by the UE; selecting, according to the received candidate serving small cell measuring result, a candidate serving small cell as a serving small cell of the UE; and activating the serving small cell of the UE. triggering, by a base station managing a macro cell, receiving of a specific signal by a User Equipment, UE, by notifying, via the macro cell, the UE of the specific signal; when the specific signal supports UE measurement, executing, by the UE, measurement according to the specific signal; and recognizing and determining, by the UE, a small cell corresponding to a received specific signal, and reporting, to the base station, information on a determined small cell, wherein a specific signal keeps being sent in a small cell under the macro cell regardless of whether the small cell is configured or activated for a UE, wherein the method further comprises: after the triggering, by the base station, receiving of the specific signal by the UE, receiving, by the base station, information on any small cell discovered and determined to report by the UE according to the received specific signal; and selecting, by the base station, part or all of the any small cell reported by the UE, and configuring such a selected small cell as a candidate serving small cell of the UE, wherein the method further comprises: after the selecting, by the base station, part or all of the any small cell reported by the UE, and configuring such a selected small cell as a candidate serving small cell of the UE, triggering, by the base station, sending of a candidate serving small cell measuring signal to the UE; receiving, by the base station, a candidate serving small cell measuring result reported by the UE; selecting, according to the received candidate serving small cell measuring result, a candidate serving small cell as a serving small cell of the UE; and activating the serving small cell of the UE.