ABSTRACT In this study, two kinds of tar‐rich coal sourced from Xinjiang were adopted in a fixed‐bed reactor to explore their optimal pyrolysis conditions and pyrolysis product characteristics, as well as to clarify the variation law of pyrolysis activation energy. The results demonstrate that the optimal pyrolysis conditions for HM coal are a particle size of 75 mesh, a final temperature of 700°C, and a heating rate of 7.5°C/min, with a maximum coal tar yield of 17.09%. For GH coal, the optimal final pyrolysis temperature is 750°C, achieving a maximum coal tar yield of 18.12%. HM coal tar possesses higher contents of light tar fractions and high value‐added compounds compared with GH coal tar. Increasing heating rate consistently reduces the activation energy and improves the pyrolysis reactivity of HM, whereas GH exhibits complex non‐monotonic kinetic variations due to its unique carbon structure and inherent mineral properties.