The present invention provides an industrially advantageous production method of optically active tetrahydroquinolines of formula (1), ##STR00001## which comprises: 1) a step of reacting a .beta.-ketoester of formula (2) ##STR00002## with an amine of formula (3) ##STR00003## to produce an enaminoester of formula (4); ##STR00004## 2) a step of subjecting the enaminoester of formula (4) above obtained in 1) to asymmetric hydrogenation to produce an optically active .beta.-amino acid derivative of formula (5); ##STR00005## 3) a step of amidating the optically active .beta.-amino acid derivative (5) above obtained in 2) to produce an amide of formula (6); ##STR00006## 4) a step of alkoxycarbonylating the amide of formula (6) above obtained in 3) to produce a compound of formula (7); ##STR00007## and 5) a step of subjecting the compound of formula (7) above to cyclization to produce the optically active tetrahydroquinoline of formula (1).