The tectonic setting of the Xionger Group (1 850--1 400 Ma) and xiyangheGroup (1850--1400 Ma) is the key to study the tectonic evolution of the southernmargin of the North China paleo--plate. The knowledge about the Xionger Groupand Siyanghe Group leads to two controversial ideas. One of them is the rift modeladvanced by Sun et al., and the other is the volcanic are model presented by Huet al. In this paper, these two models are reviewed in detail based on a long--termstudy in the Qinlin area. A new model--coexistence of volcanic arc and continentalrift, is proposed to outline the tectonic setting. The Xionger Group is recognizedas an assemblage of arc volcanics, and the Xiyanghe Group is marked by an assem-blage of rift volcanics. The rift is a passive rift which developed contempora-neously with and perpendicularly to the volcanic arc.