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Abstract: In this paper, we report 3780-m-thick Neogene deposits accumulated in the Kuqa foreland basin of southern Tianshan range, providing great potential for studying both tectonics and paleoclimatic changes. Based on palynological evidence, we discuss the paleoenvironmental changes as well as the interplay between regional uplift and climatic change in the region studied. Our results indicate that the vegetation and climatic changes from 13.3 to 7Ma were response to global climatic changes. After 7Ma, the uplift of the southern Tianshan range partially affects vegetation and climatic changes. Both global cooling and the rainshadow effect of uplifted high mountains affect the enhanced arid climate initiated ca. 5.23Ma ago. Such climatic changes are important archives in reconstructing paleoclimate of the Asian interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]