Abstract: The hydrogen charging progress of 16MnR steel was tested with acoustic emission technique. The steel specimen was charged with hydrogen while it was immersed in the H2S saturated solution at ambient temperature. The characteristics and sources of acoustic emission signals were discussed and validated by using metallographic examination. The testing results showed that 16MnR steel had some resistance to hydrogen induced cracking and corrosion signals could be detected through acoustic emission testing. These results provided a reference for practical inspection.