Abstract: The paper reviews historic debates on the predictability of earthquakes and their background and influences. It is advocated that searches for earthquake predication should advance despite of all difficulties and the key work must focus on monitoring, prediction and scientific research. The history of earthquake prediction has been a continuous process of reflection and learning from the past experiences. The paper discusses the lessons from the 1975 Haicheng M7.3 earthquake, the 1976 Tangshan M7.8 earthquake, the 1995 western Menglian M7.3 earthquake, and the 2001 Kunlunshan M8.1 earthquake.The implications of the 2008 Wenchuan M8.0 earthquake and issues related to scientific inheritance and development are examined. Several important issues that should be focused in the scientific reflection on the Wenchuan earthquake were pointed out. These include the study and judgment of future general development of earthquake activities as well as earthquake precursors and observation data analyses and evaluations. The author also suggests that a thorough scientific review on the Wenchuan earthquake should be carried out, a new plan of researches on earthquake prediction should be charted, a new generation observation network should be established, and the working system for earthquake monitoring and prediction should be improved in order to open up a new chapter of earthquake prediction in China.

Key words: Wenchuan earthquake, Reflection, Scientific review, Observation, Planning