Activated carbon fiber is one kind of important adsorption materials. These novel fibrous adsorbents have high specific surface areas or abundant functional groups, which make them have greater adsorption/desorption rates and larger adsorption capacities than other adsorbents. They can be prepared as bundle, paper, cloth and felt to meet various technical requirement. They also show reduction property. In this paper the latest progress on the studies of the preparation and adsorption properties of activated carbon fibers is reviewed. The application of these materials in drinking water purification, environmental control, resource recovery, chemical industry, and in medicine and health care is also presented. These novel fibrous adsorbents have high specific surface areas or abundant functional groups, which make them have greater adsorption / desorption rates and larger adsorption capacities than other adsorbents. They can be prepared as bundle, paper They also show reduction technical. In this paper the latest progress on the studies of the preparation and adsorption properties of activated carbon fibers are reviewed. The application of these materials in drinking water purification, environmental control , resource recovery, chemical industry, and in medicine and health care is also presented.