Abstract: There are more than 20 massive sulphide deposits within upper Paleozoic basins in South China．These deposits occur at the transitional parts from elastic rocks to carbonates adjacent to the bottom of the marine transgression sequences，and are accompanied with minor bimodal volcanites and voluminous exhalites in the host strata．Principal mineral parageneses in the ores are formed by metamorphic reactions．Metals and mineral phases commonly exhibit stratigraphycally vertical and lateral zonations，which were produced by a combination of exhalation-diagenesis，post-ore remobilization，reworking and overprinting．Footwall mineralisations in the form of veins ，breccias and disseminations under massive sulphide layers have been found representing sub-seafloor pathways of ore-forming fluids． Accompaying alterations featured by silicification， sericitization and K-feldspathization can be interpreted to represent the silicon and potassium-rich characteristics of the continental crust．As stratigraphical equivalents to massive sulphides but form ed under more oxidizing environments，exhalative iron-manganese ore layers are often underlain by vein-type lead-zinc an d gold mineralizations．Such a type of upper Palaeozoic disconcordant hyarothermal mineralizations in basement sequences should be paid great attention to during mineral prospecting in South China． Ore-forming basins in the Nanling region were initiated on a post-Caledonian highly-matured contiental crust，whereas the lower Yangtze basin was situated on a basement evolving towards a passive continental margin．Contrasting compositional and metallogenic features of upper Palaeozoic massive sulphide deposits indicate difference in crustal maturity between these two regions during ore formation．Tungsten and tin are characteristic elements of massive sulphides formed on matured continental crust．Deposits in South China are distinct from those of the Sullivan-type in their close association with well-defined volcanic rocks，in their more abundant industrial metal varieties ，and in their strong reworking and overprinting by late-stage granitic magmas and magmatic fluids，and thus are worthy to accept the term South China-type deposits and to be regarded as representative of massive sulphide deposits formed on intensely attenuated continental crust．