Abstract: Since 1980s, China has built or planned dozens of large-scale interbasin water diversion projects to resolve the issue of water shortage in some regions. The paper collects most data of the long-distance water diversion projects in China, introduces the general situation, establishes a list of the project characteristics, expounds the geological environmental characteristics, draws a distribution map of the projects, discusses the common engineering geological problems. These problems include complex regional geological environmental problems, active tectonics and their influence on tunnels stability, high crustal stress and rock mass stability, water burst caused by high pressure water, debris flow, high ground temperature, harmful gases, slope stability problem, special rock or soil problems, across the river tunnel or large scale aqueduct, mining subsidence and leakage problems, karst problem. The paper points out the matters that should be paid attention to in survey, design and construction.