Abstract: Characterization and mechanism study is a key to achieve comprehensive understanding of earth fissure and is also a necessary prerequisite to prevent and reduce fissure disaster. This paper absorbed the essence of recent earth fissure researches in Fen- Wei basin, Hebei plain and Su- Xi- Chang plain. Take earth fissures in the three places mentioned above as examples, characteristics and mechanism of Chinese earth fissures were analyzed and summarized. At the end, this paper reviews recent developments on the methods and techniques for earth fissure study. This paper concludes that: ① Chinese earth fissures can be represented by which generated in Fen- Wei basin, Hebei plain and Su- Xi- Chang plain with diverse characteristics of spatial distribution influenced by tectonic and paleogeographic factors; ② formation and development of earth fissures, in China, are not only controlled by tectonics and geological setting, but also have dynamic response to pumping; ③ earth fissures formed through different process in each of the three areas, displaying distinctive geometric feathers; ④ "fault creeping" and "pumping activity" are the two most basic and important dynamic factors among all causes and respectively, dominated the formation of earth fissures in active tectonic region (such as Fen- Wei basin, Hebei plain) and in groundwater over- exploited region (such as Su- Xi- Chang plain).