In order to explore the importance of mantle flow to lithospheric stress field in mainland China, seismic tomography_based mantle flow models are used to predict the most compressive principal horizontal stress directions (MCPHSDs). Considered that regional-scale seismic tomography models have higher horizontal resolution to map the mantle structure, while global-scale models can present the information out of the imaging domains of regional-scale models although this information has relatively poor horizontal resolution, the combined global- and regional-scale seismic tomography_based mantle flow models (hereafter called combined models) are mainly used in this paper. After the comparison of the observed and our predicted MCPHSDs, it is suggested that (1) a combined model, compared with a only global-scale seismic tomography_based model, could improve greatly the predictions in some regions of mainland China such as Sichuan-Yunnan, South China and North China blocks; (2) the mantle flow model driven by both plate motions and mantle density heterogeneity (hereafter called plate-density-driven model), compared with the flow model driven only by mantle density heterogeneity (hereafter called density-driven model), has much better predictions in the eastern China; (3) the presence of density variations above 250km could better dramatically the predictions in the eastern China; and (4) sublithospheric mantle flow causes the lithosphere under compression in mainland China, and plays an important role in forming the lithospheric stress in Alashan, Qaidam, western Tibetan and eastern Tarim blocks as well as the east of the eastern China.