This study reconstructs land surface temperature records for north China over the past 21,000 years using two independent paleothermometers: bacterial membrane lipids (brGDGTs) and clumped isotopes of snail shells. The brGDGT-based temperature record shows a gradual cooling trend during the Holocene, contrasting with climate model predictions. The clumped isotope-based temperature record mirrors the brGDGT record, indicating similar temperatures for the late Holocene and the Last Glacial Maximum. The study suggests that changes in soil moisture availability modulate land surface temperature recorded by the proxies. A land surface energy partitioning model confirms this mechanism, highlighting the importance of considering soil moisture effects when comparing proxy records with climate model outputs. The results provide a robust record of summer monsoon season temperatures in north China during the deglaciation, revealing a long-term cooling trend consistent with global terrestrial and marine proxy records.This study reconstructs land surface temperature records for north China over the past 21,000 years using two independent paleothermometers: bacterial membrane lipids (brGDGTs) and clumped isotopes of snail shells. The brGDGT-based temperature record shows a gradual cooling trend during the Holocene, contrasting with climate model predictions. The clumped isotope-based temperature record mirrors the brGDGT record, indicating similar temperatures for the late Holocene and the Last Glacial Maximum. The study suggests that changes in soil moisture availability modulate land surface temperature recorded by the proxies. A land surface energy partitioning model confirms this mechanism, highlighting the importance of considering soil moisture effects when comparing proxy records with climate model outputs. The results provide a robust record of summer monsoon season temperatures in north China during the deglaciation, revealing a long-term cooling trend consistent with global terrestrial and marine proxy records.