Abstract: The late Cenozoic geomorphic features and geochronologic data of the Zhingfang River catchment in the Yuntaishan World Geopark are studied. Several quarternary geochronologic methods, including electron spin resonance (ESR), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), thermo-luminescence (TL) and U-series are presented in this paper. The results suggest that there are two planation surfaces, named as the Taihang surface which is a peneplain of Taihang stage formed during Oligocene or Oligocene to early-middle Miocene period, and Tang-hien surface which is a mature wide valley of Tang-hien stage formed during late Miocene-Pliocene or Pliocene-early Pleistocene period and probably ended prior to 2.2–2.6 Ma based on ESR dating. After the Tang-hien stage, the incision and aggradation of the river formed six stream terraces with heights of 3–5 m, 8–12 m, 22–24 m, 28–38 m, 50–62 m and 80–85 m above the river bottom, respectively. The dating results of the alluvium sediments suggest that these terraces were formed during Holocene, 20–23 ka B.P., 110–120 ka B.P., 200–240 ka B.P., 840–1200 ka B.P. or ~450 ka B.P. and 1600–1800 ka B.P. or ~1100 ka B.P., respectively. These results indicate that episodic incision of the river, which controls the formation of the scenery in the Yuntaishan World Geopark, was mainly influenced by the periodic dry-wet climate change during late Cenozoic mountain uplift.