Based on the three-dimensional analytical framework of contradiction representation – phase-specific causes - adjustment path and integrating historical institutionalism and policy process theory， this study systematically deconstructs the institutional logic underlying the evolution of human-land contradictions during two rounds of land contracting in China. The research findings reveal that the human-land contradiction exhibits three-dimensional transformation characteristics： structural mismatch in land spatial distribution， conflicts in land rights realization， and imbalances in intergenerational land distribution. The first round of land contracting was mainly characterized by the spatial structural imbalance arising from a survival-oriented allocation logic. In the second round， the contradiction was dominated by conflicts over land-use rights stemming from demands for stable property rights. During the extension in the second round of land contract， the contradiction further intensified into intergenerational tensions driven by the market-oriented reforms of land factors. Consequently， the research further elucidates the phase-specific causes of human-land contradictions across different rounds of land contracting. Lastly， to address the representations and causes of human-land contradictions during the various rounds of land contracting， this study proposes adjustment paths for alleviating human–land contradictions in the ongoing “second-round extension” of land contracts： comprehensive land consolidation to optimize spatial configuration， reconstruction of land-use rights within the framework of the “separation of three rights” to alleviate entrenched property-right conflicts， a contracting period system combining a “baseline duration plus dynamic adjustments” to ease intergenerational tensions， and an intelligent governance system to enhance ownership traceability and dispute resolution.