A Mesozoic Andean-type active continental margin along coastal South China: New geological records from the basement of the northern South China Sea

•Investigation on Mesozoic plutons and metaclastic rocks from the northern SCS basement.•An Andean-type magmatic arc stretched from Hainan through northern SCS, to Taiwan and beyond.•The continuous 190–90 Ma arc was replaced by the Western Pacific plate margin soon after 90 Ma.