The early Paleozoic ocean-continent framework, the basin prototype and the tectonic setting of the Helanshan-Zhuozishan Mountains, the western North China Craton (NCC) and its tectonic affinity remain as controversial issues, and the hot topics in the international geological community. In recent years, with the accumulation of new data such as the petrogeochemistry, the paleomagnetism, the zircon geochemistry and the chronology, some new lines of evidence and hypotheses were put forward, raising these scientific problems to a new level, but without consensus yet being reached. This paper reviews a series of latest progresses, and comments on some crucial basic geological problems, and puts forward suggestions for future research focusing on scientific issues.

Helanshan  /  Zhuozishan  /  suture zone  /  basin prototype  /  turbidite