Based on kinematic analysis and measurements of reverse and wrench faults, stress field analysis is undertaken by using fault-slip data from the northern Upper Yangtze region. The fault overprinting and superposed folds demonstrate that three phases of stress fields from the NW-SE compression, nearly EW compression to NE-SW compression occurred in the region. It indicates that the fold belts in the northern Upper Yangtze region experienced the evolution from the western Hubei and Hunan fold belt, the eastern Sichuan fold belt to the southern Daba arcuate fold belt.