The Wenchuan earthquake is a natural disaster. Its occurrence and aftermath have demonstrated the critical roles of seismology and earthquake engineering in reducing seismic hazards and damages. However, their existing limitations should also be underscored. This article summarized and reviewed the current scientific understanding of earthquake ruptures, and new insights gained since the Wenchuan event. This study focused on the related challenges to seismology and earthquake engineering as follows: (1) The under-estimation of earthquake risks before occurrences. (2) The current limited data regarding large earthquakes in continental thrust fault systems. (3) The causal relationship between the Wenchuan earthquake and the reservoir impoundment in its vicinity. (4) The identification of low-velocity zone in the crust and its seismogenical role. (5) The casualties and economic losses from a cascade of diverse natural hazards triggered by the ruptures, and the excellent earthquake resistance associated with tunnels in mountainous terrain.

汶川地震是一场自然灾害。它的发生和后果证明了地震学和地震工程学在减少地震灾害和破坏方面的关键作用。但是，还应强调它们现有的局限性。本文总结和回顾了当前科学界对地震破裂的认识，以及自汶川地震以来获得的新见解。本研究重点关注地震学和地震工程面临的相关挑战如下： (1) 地震发生前的风险低估。(2) 目前关于大陆逆冲断层系统大地震的资料有限。(3)汶川地震与附近水库蓄水的因果关系。(4) 地壳低速带识别及其孕震作用。