Pay tribute to the physicians dedicated to propel digestive surgery forward in the new times

As the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) marks its 110th anniversary, the authors reflect with profound admiration on the groundbreaking contributions made by its founders Wu Lien-teh, Yan Fuqing, etc. since its establishment in 1915. Their visionary work laid the founda-tion for China's medical advancement. The year 2025 also commemorates the 24th anniversary of the Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery. This milestone prompts the authors to revisit the enduring academic legacy of the "Zhiqiang Spirit" that continues to inspire future generations, as well as the journal's extraordinary role in establishing itself as a premier publication and fostering a high-quality academic exchange platform to advance digestive surgery in China and even all over the world. At these twin commemorative moments, the authors synthesize pivotal developments in digestive surgery for the new era: the establishment of precise medicine frameworks. The transfor-mative wave of minimally invasive surgery. The diagnosis and treatment models change in digestive surgery. As CMA marks its 110th anniversary, through this work, we pay tribute to the physicians dedicated to propel digestive surgery forward in the new times.