Aeolian landforms are scarce in subtropical regions due to limited sediment availability, high vegetation coverage, and low wind energy. The Houtian Sandy Land (HSL) in southern China represents the largest such system in the subtropical zone, yet its chronostratigraphy and driving mechanisms remain poorly understood. Through integrated field investigations and laboratory analyses-including morphological measurements, sediment sampling, grain-size analysis, total organic carbon (TOC) determination, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating-this study reconstructs the multi-temporal evolution of the HSL. On seasonal timescales, climate variability drove nebkha formation around 0.3-0.4 ka by regulating sediment supply, transport, and stabilization. Winter declines in the water level of the Ganjiang River exposed fluvial sediments, which were then transported landward by the topographically enhanced East Asian winter monsoon. In summer, favorable hydrothermal conditions promoted vegetation growth, which trapped aeolian sand and stabilized the nebkhas. Over ten-thousand-year timescales during the Late Pleistocene, the interplay between the East Asian summer and winter monsoons resulted in alternating deposition of dune sands and sandy paleosols. Periods of increased aridity and wind intensity promoted dune formation, whereas intervals of greater vegetation cover and landscape stability favored paleosol development. This study underscores the roles of sediment availability, wind energy, and vegetation cover in shaping subtropical aeolian landscapes across seasonal to orbital timescales, offering new perspectives on the complex drivers of aeolian activity in humid regions.