Rigid bronchoscopy (RB) is one of the oldest bronchoscopic techniques. Since the advent of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) in 1970s, usage frequency of RB procedures has rapidly decreased, which made many clinicians question its clinical value. However, the fact of prosperous"rigid hot"in China has appeared in the field of interventional pulmonology in recent years, which confused some pulmonologists-why does RB become hot in the field of interventional pulmonology domestically? what is the practical value of RB in the endoscopic procedures of modern respiratory diseases? how about the developing trend and application prospects of RB in future? This review summarized and discussed the existing debates as well as the latest progress on RB in clinical application, and put forward our views and opinions.