Abstract: The Altun tectonic zone lies on the southeastern margin of the Tarim plate resulting from multiple subductions and collisions. The strike slip activity in the zone began in the Middle Late Ordovician and became strong in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. It draged some geological bodies of different tectonic units to the north into the zone, forming the Beishan Dunhuang tectonic wedge. The Beishan Alashan and other geological bodies on two sides of the zone were modified strongly by strike slip and pull apart activities, forming a lot of petroleum bearing basins. They combine to form a gigantic strike slip fault system in west central China.