Under the goal of “carbon peak and carbon neutrality”, vigorously developing low- carbon and clean energy represented by shale gas is an important way to achieve carbon emission reduction. The Huaibei area in southern North China is rich in coal- bearing shale gas resources, but the mechanism of shale gas generation and preservation in this area is still unclear due to the influence of complex tectono- thermal evolution.Therefore, by using vitrinite reflectance, rock pyrolysis, fission track, and basin simulation techniques, this study analyzes the tectono- thermal evolution and hydrocarbon generation process of Huaibei area in southern North China since the Late Paleozoic and discusses the generation and preservation mechanism of coal- bearing shale gas under complex tectono- thermal activity.The results show that the generation process of coal- bearing shale gas in the Huaibei area is significantly controlled by the Yanshanian tectono- thermal events. The maximum paleotemperature of the Xiashihezi and the Shanxi shales reached ~172℃, corresponding to the peak heat flow of 124 mW/m2, due to the intrusion of basic magma into coal measures in the Late Jurassic. The Ro values of coal- bearing shale range from 0.87% to 1.74%, and the maximum pyrolysis temperatures (Tmax) range from 437℃ to 563℃, indicating that organic matter has entered the stage of light oil- wet gas stage. The fission track age of sandstone apatite (60~42 Ma) in the Permian Shanxi Formation is significantly lower than that of the strata (298~272 Ma) in the study area, and the fission track age of some zircons is slightly lower than that of the strata, which confirms that a strong magmatic thermal event occurred in this area, resulting in a peak geothermal gradient of ~65 ℃/km. The magmatic thermal effect of the Yanshanian period promote efficient hydrocarbon generation and accumulation of regional coal- bearing shale, and the extensional faults caused by the roll- back subduction of the Pacific plate lead to the destruction and escape of shale gas reservoirs in the strong tectonic deformation area. Therefore, in the Huaibei area, the weak tectonic deformation area accompanied by moderate magmatic activity led to good conditions for shale gas preservation with an excellent prospect for petroleum exploration.