The Early Pleistocene rapid uplift of the Tibet plateau plays an important role to  global climate change, formation of basin-range geography and appearance of desertification in West China. Detailed grain size analysis and ³⁶Cl dating have been carried out on the Early Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine sediments of the Dunhuang Basin in northeastern Tibet plateau. The results show that the Dangjinshan Mountains rose rapidly at the end of the Early Pleistocene, and gravels and coarse sandstones were deposited with high sedimentation rate. From 1.087 Ma B.P.to 0.809 Ma B.P., mountain uplift speed became slower with lower sedimentation rate. Since 0.809 Ma B.P., climate in the Dunhuang Basin area became arid, and desert was formed possibly affected by mountain uplift.