The Hongzhen metamorphic core complex in the Yangtze Plate east of the Dabie orogenic belt was considered as the Early Cretaceous metamorphic core complex of the Cordillera type caused by the NE—SW extension, and the Dongling Complex has long been treated as the metamorphosed basement. However, the extension direction indicated by the core complex is in contradiction with the NW—SE extension shown by many Early Cretaceous extensional structures in eastern China, suggesting necessity for further studies and understanding for this important, extensional structure. Zircon dating of 11 samples gives emplacement ages of 829~812 Ma for the deformed, metamorphosed plutons in the Dongling Complex and protolith ages of 761~754 Ma for the meta sediments and meta volcanic rocks in the complex. These demonstrate that meta volcanic rocks belong to the cover of Neoproterozoic Nanhua period. The zircon growth rims show a thermal event of 127 Ma in the complex that is related to synchronous intrusion of the nearby Hongzhen pluton and affects muscovite 40Ar/39Ar ages from the ductile shear zone in the complex. Two groups of NE striking normal faults with opposite dips were developed on both sides of the exposed Dongling Complex in the Early Cretaceous. The synchronous Huaining and Qianshan rifted basins appeared in the south and west of the region respectively. Fault slip data indicate that the Early Cretaceous extensional structures were produced by NW—SE extension, rather than the NE—SW extension as proposed previously. It is suggested therefore that an extensional dome, rather than the Cordillera type metamorphic core complex, formed under the common action of normal faulting along the two groups of faults with opposite dips and exhumation induced by the Hongzhen intrusion during the Early Cretaceous.