Enormous evaporites including rock halite, anhydrite, glauberite mineralized in late Cretaceous- Paleogene red basins of South China. Among several basins, deep brines rich in potassium, lithium and potassium- bearing minerals were discovered. South China evaporites are ideal achieves recording Asian tectono- paleoclimatic events during this period. This study examines petrographic and stratigraphic features of typical South China evaporites to decipher their depositional origin. Temporal and spatial evolution of these evaporites are further inspected to preliminarily discuss their tectono- paleoclimatic controlling factors. Petrographic interpretation shows most thick evaporites are primary deposits that were nucleated in ancient perennial deep saline lakes. Major mineralization periods contain late Cretaceous, late Paleocene, and late Eocene- early Oligocene. Mesozoic westward subduction and subsequent roll back of Pacific Plate promoted significant tectonic transition and intra- continental deformation in South China, thus created series of NE- SW trending rifting red basins, which act as filling depressions for evaporites. Prevail winds governing South China in late Cretaceous were westerlies, meaning dominate moisture came from the Tethys Ocean to the west. To the far east of South China, anhydrite in the Jitai basin and halite in the Huichang basin, Huaian depression became the earliest evaporites. Stepwise uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and related westward retreat of the Tethys Ocean starting from early Paleogene reduced humidity in South China interior, leading to aridity spanning to central China. At 34 Ma of late Eocene- early Oligocene, permanent ice sheets on Antarctic were formed and global seawater level saw remarkable fall, notably decreased rain input, thus created pervasive evaporites deposition in most area of east China. During late Oligocene, elevation of the Tibetan Plateau reached critical height and triggered East Asian monsoon circulation, brought huge amount moisture from the Pacific Ocean and terminated the mineralization of South China evaporites.