Abstract Knowledge about the nature and history of the lithospheric mantle beneath the west Cathaysia block (South China) is still sparse. The major- and trace-element compositions and H2O contents of minerals from peridotite xenoliths entrained in the Cenozoic lamprophyres of the Anyuan area (SE China), were conducted to investigate the nature and evolution of the lithospheric mantle, as well as the factors controlling the distribution of water. The xenoliths including spinel harzburgites and lherzolites are moderately refractory (Mg# Olivine = 90.2–91.2) with minor fertile lherzolites (Mg# Olivine = 89.1–89.9). Clinopyroxenes in lherzolites show variable REE patterns from LREE-depleted to LREE-enriched patterns, and commonly exhibit negative anomalies of U, Pb and Ti. The mantle represented by the xenoliths mostly experienced 1–10% partial melting and obvious subsequent silicate metasomatism. H2O contents of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and olivine in the peridotites are 320–404 ppm, 138–200 ppm, and 11–33 ppm, respectively. The whole-rock H2O contents range from 63 to 120 ppm, similar to that estimated for the MORB source. The negative correlations of H2O contents with Mg# in olivine and lack of correlation correlations with (La/Yb)N in clinopyroxene suggest that the H2O contents are mainly controlled by the partial melting process rather than mantle metasomatism. The fertile and moderately refractory peridotite xenoliths have similar equilibrium temperatures, implying that the lithospheric mantle is not compositionally stratified. Integrated with published data, we suggest that the widespread fertile and moderately refractory lithospheric mantle beneath the studied area (west Cathaysia), even the whole South China, might be eroded or melt-rock reacted by upwelling asthenospheric materials. Finally, the cooling of the upwelled asthenospheric materials resulted in the formation of the accreted lithospheric mantle mixed with pre-existing moderately refractory volumes.