Since the new century，the theoretical，clinical，and experimental research on moxibustion in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in China and abroad has increased.Two projects of the National Basic Research Program (973 Program) in moxibustion initiated by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China have clarified several key scientific problems of moxibustion，realized major innovation in moxibustion research，promoted the clinical practice of moxibustion in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases，and achieved fruitful results in the basic research.This study briefly introduced the research overview and mechanism of moxibustion in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases，including chronic atrophic gastritis，gastric ulcer，functional gastrointestinal diseases，inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g.，ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease)，and gastrointestinal tumors，which is characterized by multi-factor，multi-target，and multi-pathway effects.The therapeutic effect was achieved by regulating gastrointestinal movement，alleviating visceral pain，repairing and protecting gastrointestinal mucosa，regulating intestinal flora，and improving postoperative complications of gastrointestinal tumors and adverse events of chemotherapy，which could be summarized as its specific mechanism.Existing studies have shown that moxibustion has definite therapeutic efficacy on gastrointestinal diseases，and the relevant basic research is worthy of further implementation.