Founded in 1954 by Prof. Liu Kun, the well-known specialist of thoracic surgery. The department is the first specialty department of thoracic surgery in China and obtains high academic prestige at home and abroad. In 1978, it was one of the first units ratified to confer the master's degree, the first discipline ratified to confer the doctoral degree in PLA in 1986, and the discipline of the mobile station of post-doctors in 1997. It became the center of thoracic surgery of PLA in 2000, discipline of prominent medical service of Shaanxi in 2001 and the national key discipline in 2002. With medical service, teaching and scientific research integrated and continuous innovation for 51 years, the department has developed into a department with the high-level academic echelon. The department with 120 beds and the annual operation of 1,100, has become the diagnostic and therapeutic base for common chest diseases and stubborn chest diseases and the training base for high-grade talents of chest surgery.