The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and the surrounding mountains is the most glaciated region outside the polar realm. Understanding the time of Quaternary glaciations and their climatic response is thus very important. However, different views occur on these issues. In this paper, two major different views were introduced and discussed. In the past more than ten years, based on the numerous chronological works including terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) beryllium-10 and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, some scientists suggested that, (1) The glaciations were mostly occurred in the odd marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS). (2) The maximum glacial advance in the last glacial occurred during the MIS 3 ; and significant glacier advances occurred during the early Holocene. (3) Glacial advances in this region were mainly driven by increased precipitation brought by the intensive Indian summer monsoon. Other scientists considered that glacier advances in this region were corresponding to cold stages (even MIS stages) or events. Some scientists supposed that glaciations in this high altitude region probably a result of both glacial climate and tectonic uplift. To discuss these issues,the history of glacial fluctuations mainly based on the existing chronologies (including TCN and OSL ages) was compared with climatic records since the last glacial. Comparisons of glacier and climatic change at a variety of temporal scales (since the last glacial,Holocene,historical period and modern) were carried out. Glaciers in different zones of glacier types (maritime, sub-continental and extreme continental glaciers) were investigated. The results show that glacier advances occurred at both humid and cold periods. But they mainly responded to low temperature. It seems that glaciers in this region were more sensitive to temperature rather than precipitation. For the old glaciations that prior to the last glacial, the larger uncertainties of chronologies do not allow further discussion of the time and climatic response of glacier advance. It is worth to note that during the MIS 3 and the Early Holocene,glacier advances did occurred,and indicates that the Indian summer monsoon has a profound influence on the glaciers in this region. However, there were many rapid climatic change events during these two periods. And there are evidences that these glacier advances were also corresponding to the cold events. It seems that glacier fluctuations during these two periods were influenced by both monsoonal precipitation and temperature changes. According to the existing chronological data,especially the data since the last glacial,the traditional view glaciations occurred in the even MIS stages haven't been overturned by far. More and more accuracy numerical chronologies are required to update our understanding of glaciations and their climatic response in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.