Abstract: The efficient development of shale oil and gas requires large-scale fracturing of the reservoir, and the vertical expansion of hydraulic fractures to activate the weak surface of the laminate is the key to form a complex fracture network. However, due to the differences in sedimentary environment, mineral composition and rock mass structure between marine shale and continental shale, the effectivities of hydraulic fracturing vary significantly, and it is urgent to further explore the propagation law of hydraulic fractures. In this paper, Longmaxi marine shale and Chang 7 member continental shale were selected to conduct mechanical property tests and hydraulic fracture propagation characteristics under true triaxial stress. The mechanical anisotropy, injection pressure curve, fracture network geometry and acoustic emission activity of marine shale and continental shale were investigated. The results show that:(1)The mechanical strength of marine shale is significantly higher than continental shale, the compressive strength difference is 61.4~102.2 MPa, the tensile strength difference is about 1.7~2.6 MPa, and the elastic modulus difference is about 7.0~25.7GPa, indicating that the weak bedding has a more significant influence on the mechanical properties and fracture pattern of continental shale. (2)The breakdown pressure and acoustic emission energy of marine shale were relatively higher than continental shale, the characteristics of hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation were obvious. The injection pressure curve of continental shale is significantly different from that of marine shale due to the fracturing fluid leaking off along bedding interfaces, resulting in nonlinear increase of injection pressure. The characteristics of fracture initiation and main fracture propagation were not obvious, and the acoustic emission energy of continental shale was low. (3)The hydraulic fracture geometry of marine shale is relatively straight, and two main fractures are initiated from spiral perforations. The hydraulic fracture morphology of continental shale was tortuous, and the vertical propagation was inhibited by the weak bedding interfaces, and the fracture propagation height was relatively small. Increasing the fracturing fluid viscosity could promote the vertical propagation of hydraulic fracture in continental shale and improve the fracture network complexity.