The ancient Passive continental margin of the northern Yangtze plate was developed through Late Proterozoic-Middle Ordovician rifting and Middle Ordovician-Late Silurian drifting. This paper deals with the geochemical characteristics of the ancient passive continental margin of the northern Yangtze plate.a. The volcanic rocks developed at the early stage of rifting are alkalic and bimodal, while the volcanic rocks, dikes and swarms formed during the late stage of rifting to the early stage of drifting are not bimodal, although alkalic.b. Sandstones and shales formed during the evolution of this continental margin show two different geochemical characteristics. The sandstones and shales produced in the rifting stage are geochemically similar to those of active continental margins. Only do those rocks produced in the drifting stage possess the geochemical characteristics of sandstones and shales of a passive continental margin.