Despite the increasing archaeobotanical studies on the prehistoric southeastern Tibetan Plateau, past woodland use strategies in this region remain unknown. Here we conduct an analysis of wood charcoals recovered from the late Neolithic site of Yingpanshan (5300–4500 BP) in order to understand past vegetation and wood utilization in the north of this region. The results show a great taxonomic diversity of woody species, as well as a landscape that was characterized by the predominance of Bambusoideae, Tsuga and Pinus, followed by Prunus, Quercus and Betula. These major taxa seem to have a high availability in the surrounding environment of the settlement, given their ecological requirements and contemporary distribution. There was a preferential use of the major taxa as fuel and timber. The anthracological data, combined with the carpological remains retrieved from the site, demonstrate the exploration of multiple plant food resources, with edible woody species possibly serving as fruits and vegetables. This study suggests the significance of integration of charcoal analysis with other archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological evidence for gaining an accurate picture of the land use practices and their environmental settings on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.