Studies show that the Tianshan orogenic belt was built in the late stage of the Paleozoic, as evidenced by thePermian red molasses and foreland basins, which are distributed in parallel with the Tianshan belt, indicating that anintense folding and uplifting event took place. During the Triassic, this orogenic belt was strongly eroded, and basins werefurther developed. Starting from the Jurassic, a within-plate regional extension occurred, forming a series of Jurassic-Paleogene extensional basins in the peneplaned Tianshan region. Since the Neogene, a collision event between the Indianand the Eurasian plates that took place on the southern side of the Tianshan belt has caused a strong intra-continentalorogeny, which is characterized by thrusting and folding. Extremely thick coarse conglomerate and sandy conglomerate ofthe Xiyu Formation of Neogene System were accumulated unconformably on the Tianshan piedmont. Studies haverevealed that the strong compression caused by the Indian-Eurasian collision had a profound influence over the orogenicbelt in the hinterland, and Mesozoic-Cenozoic brittle deformed structures superposed on the ductile deformed Paleozoicrocks. The Mesozoic extensional basins were converted into Cenozoic compressional basins. The deformation in thebasins is featured by step thrusts and fault-related folds. Statistics of joints show that the principal compressive stress sincethe Neogene is in a N-S direction. Meanwhile, owing to the underthrusting of the basin toward the orogenic belt, thePaleozoic strata were thrust on the Meso-Cenozoic rocks as tectonic slices, revealing distinct kinematic features indifferent geologic units. The basin-range coupling zones are characterized by intensive compression, folding and thrusting,accompanied by local sub-E-W-trending strike-slip faults. In the Tianshan region, Cenozoic thrusting is the most commonbasin-range coupling mode. The folding and faulting of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, spontaneous combustion of Jurassiccoal layers and formation of sintered rocks, the Cenozoic earthquakes and active faulting, and the unique mosaic pattern ofbasin-range framework of Xinjiang are all products of tectonism since the Neogene.