Abstract: In this paper, eight events of reservoir-induced earthquakes in China are briefly described and their general characteristics are also summarized. On these grounds, some problems related to the origin of reservoir-induced earthguakes are discussed.It is suggested that the reservoir-induced earthquakes are caused by the water seeping through the surrounding rocks into deep-seated fissures with a suitable initial stress and some favorable conditions of building water pressure. The tectonic stress may serve as art earthquake-generating initial stress, while the gravity of the rock mass may be another general initial stress. The reservoir-induced earthquakes, therefore, result from the dislocation of preexisting faults or fissures by the seeping water, which is a type of stick-slip mechanism. The reservoir-induced earthquakes are closely correlated with the karst.Consequently, the possibility of earthquake induced by reservoir impounding can be evaluated before dam building.