The invention provides a method for large-scale production of fullerene by burning coal or graphite, comprising the following steps: (a) processing coal or graphite into fine powder for burning, injecting the fine powder into a combustion chamber in a uniform and controllable way, controlling temperature of the combustion chamber within the range of 1700 DEG C to 2200 DEG C, injecting oxygen intothe combustion chamber with mol ratio between carbon and oxygen being 0.8-1.2; burning the coal or graphite powder in the combustion chamber to obtain carbon dust containing fullerene; (b) obtaining carbon dust from burning of the coal or graphite with numerous different components, recovering and reburning heavy components not yet fully burned; cooling light ash components containing fullerene and gases generated from burning, reducing the temperature from 1700 DEG C to 2200 DEG C of the combustion chamber to 400 DEG C to 500 DEG C; (c) collecting the carbon dust containing fullerene and gases, discharging the gases and collecting the carbon dust containing fullerene: (d) separating and purifying the carbon dust containing fullerene to obtain the fullerene product. The method of the invention features simple operational path, little pollution discharge, strong operability, low cost, high additional value and application to large-scale industrial production.