Abstract: The Sichuan Basin locates at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and the western margin of the Yangtze plate, of which the recent seismic data show the intact Pre-Sinian structures of the plaeo-subduction and rifts, indicating of long-term tectonic quiescence of the basement. The Sichuan Basin（marine craton）has experienced two-episodes of weak extension-weak shortening across the craton（basin）, combined with intensive extension-intensive shortening in the（craton）basin′s periphery during Phanerozoic time. The two-episodes are Late Sinian（Edicarian）to Carboniferous epoch, and Permian to Middle Triassic epoch. Both of the extensional episodes are characterized with deposits of marine platform facies （e.g., the Upper Sinian Dengying Formation, Middle Permian Qixia and Maokou Formations）, and subsequent karstification as a result of uplifting and erosion. While both of the extensional episodes are dominated with intracratonic sags in the Sichuan Basin （e.g., the Early Cambrian Mianyang-Changning sag, the Late Permian to Early Triassic Kaijiang-Liangping sag）. In subsequent, the evolution of Sichuan Basin is characterized with foreland basin controlled by the basin-mountain systems around the basin, as margin-plate basin-mountain systems and interior-plate basin-mountain systems. The former systems are the Longmenshan, Micang-Dabashan basin-mountain systems at western and northern margins of Yangtze plate, their evolutions are controlled by the geometry of plate margin and competence of basement. In contrast, the latter one consists of the Qiyueshan-Daloushan, Daliangshan basin-mountain systems at the eastern and southwestern margins of Yangtze plate, their evolutions are controlled by detachment of incompetent layers of the basin. Thus, we argued that tectonic decouple occurred across the Sichuan Basin between the Pre-Sinian basement and sedimentary cover, as well as among the sedimentary cover, respectively. The tectonic decouple between the basement and overlying strata facilitated development of basin-scaled paleo-uplift and depression, and preservation of the pre-Sinian structures of plaeo-subduction and rifts. The tectonic decouple among sedimentary strata（cover）further facilitated early structures without deformation by subsequent tectonics, indicative of high-quality preservation for hydrocarbon in deep strata. In general, the Sichuan Basin may indicate a unique type of superimposed sedimentary basin, as formation and evolution mainly controlled by its peripheric tectonics.