Based on geological, chronological, geochemical and Nd isotopic studies of the high-grade basement of the Qilian terrane, the authors have drawn the following main conclusions: (1) the high-grade basement of the Qilian terrane consists mainly of meta-argillo-arenaceous rocks and granites and its bulk part was formed in the period of 0.8-1.0 Ga (the Jinningian period); (2) most of the meta-argillo-arenaceous rocks and granitic rocks have strong negative Eu and Ba anomalies (Eu/Eu*= 0.47-0.71 and Ba/Ba*=0.16-0.64), with fDM and εNd(1.0 Ga) ranging from 1.87 to 2.26 Ga and from -8.54 to -4.06 respectively, showing relatively high maturity; and (3) the Jinningian granitic rocks are a typical product of continent-continent collision, being probably related to the formation of the supercontinent Rodinia. These studies, combined with the study of high-grade basement rocks near the Qilian terrane, suggest that before the Jinningian period, the Qilian-Qaidam northern-margin terrane and Dunhuang-Alxa terrane wer