Based on data of the average annual temperature time series from 16 international exchange stations in Xinjiang during the period 1957-2012, the non-linear trend variations were analyzed by using extreme-point symmetric mode decomposition method (ESMD), and regional differences in variation trend were also discussed. Results indicate that, in the last more than 50 years, the average annual temperature in Xinjiang showed a significant non- linear upward trend, and exhibited obvious changes on interannual (2 and 8 years) and decadal scales (10 and 25 years). Variance contribution rates of each component implied that the interannual change held a dominant position in the overall temperature change in Xinjiang, and the reconstructed interannual variation trend could describe the fluctuation of original temperature during the study period. The reconstructed interdecadal variability suggested that the climate mode in Xinjiang had a significant transformation before and after 1997, namely the characteristic of climate mode shifting from a negative phase to a positive one of mean annual temperature. There were obviously regional differences in non-linear change trend of average annual temperature, thereinto, northern Xinjiang was mainly rising, eastern Xinjiang showed decreased firstly and then increased, the situation in southern Xinjiang was, however, quite complicated. At the same time, the results showed that ESMD was a good method of screening large- scale circulation and non-linear trend.