Abstract：Based on a comparative study of southwest China and neighboring Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam as well as an investigation of the tectonic evolution as well as sedimentary and paleontological features, the authors divided the whole study region into five stratigraphic zones, i.e., the India zone belonging to Gondwana type, the Yunnan-Myanmar-Malaysia pro-Gondwana transitional zone, the Indochina pro-South China transitional zone, the Yangtze zone and the Cathaysian zone belonging to Laurasia. The basic characteristics of each zone are discussed, the sedimentary evolution is comparatively studied, and the important regional tectonic events and ocean basin evolution are dealt with in detail.