The Chinese continental landmass is a mosaic of small and micro-lacustrine blocks interspersed with orogenic belts. Major continental blocks include the North China Block and the Yangtze Block, which, after undergoing three stages of tectonic evolution, are bordered by orogenic and fault belts. Within these continental blocks, oil- and gas-bearing basins demonstrate a pattern of multi-phase superimposition, characterized by “zoning from east to west and partitioning from north to south.” The crustal thickness of the Chinese mainland decreases progressively from west to east, influencing the geothermal gradient. Geologically, the Chinese landmass is framed by the Siberian, Indian, and Pacific plates. While the northern and central regions remain relatively stable, the Qinghai-Tibet region experiences significant compression from the Indian Plate, resulting in the formation of unique negative-pressure basins. In the east, interactions with the Pacific Plate have led to the development of trench-arc-basin systems and rift basins. Petroleum resources on the Chinese mainland (excluding offshore regions) are predominantly lacustrine. To understand the characteristics of lacustrine source rocks from various geological periods, key oil-bearing basins are analyzed, including the Permian-aged Junggar Basin, the Triassic-aged Ordos Basin, the Jurassic-aged Sichuan Basin, the Cretaceous-aged Songliao Basin, and the Paleogene-aged Bohai Bay Basin. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the source rock characteristics of oil-bearing basins across different regions, geological periods, and developmental features in China.