Thermal simulation and rock pyrolysis experiments of the low maturity shale samples from Jurassic Yanan formation of western margin of Ordos basin help find the relation between rock thermal maturity (Ro) and hydrocarbon production rate & pyrolysis hydrocarbon rate (S2), and relation between S2 and hydrocarbon production rate. Results show that gaseous hydrocarbon production rate of the low maturity continental shale increases linearly with Ro, liquid hydrocarbon production rate increases firstly and then decreases with Ro, hydrocarbon production rate increases exponentially with Ro, and S2 decreases exponentially with Ro. S2 is linearly negative with hydrocarbon production rate, which linearly rises while S2 falls. The evolution of continental shale hydrocarbon generation can be divided into three stages: immature stage with releasing free hydrocarbon and initial kerogen thermal degrading, mature stage with kerogen thermal degrading and liquid hydrocarbon thermal cracking, and overmaturity stage with gaseous hydrocarbon and liquid hydrocarbon thermal cracking. According to the gaseous hydrocarbon increment rate and an abrupt rise of liquid hydrocarbon production rate in the hydrocarbon generation simulation, and to the Ro corresponding to the first hydrocarbon production peak, this paper determines the lower limit of Ro and TOC