The Early Cretaceous Houyaoyu granite porphyries are located in the south margin of the North China Craton. Field observations, petrography, geochronology, major and trace elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions are reported to elucidate the genesis of the Houyaoyu granite porphyries. SIMS zircon U-Pb analyses for the Houyaoyu granite porphyries yield two concordant ages of 133.2 +/- 2.3 (2 sigma) and 131 +/- 1.1 (2 sigma) Ma, respectively. Major and trace elemental compositions indicate that these porphyries are high-K I-type granites with high contents of SiO2, K2O, Rb, U, Pb, low Nb, Ta, Ti, and P. Initial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios range from 0.708 3 to 0.709 7, and epsilon (Nd)(t) values range from -9.13 to -12.3, with corresponding two-stage depleted-mantle Nd model ages (T (2DM)) varying from 1.57 to 1.91 Ga. This suggests that the Houyaoyu granite porphyries were predominantly derived from ancient lower continental crust, with minor involvement of mantle-derived components. On the basis of the tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogen and geochemical characteristics of the Houyaoyu granite porphyries, it is proposed that they were formed in an extensional tectonic setting related to lithospheric destruction of the North China Craton, and produced Mo and Pb-Zn mineralization in East Qinling Orogen.