The study of coupled social-ecological system (SES) relationship can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of human activities on ecosystems, and thus to the formulation more rational environmental protection policies. Incorporating the "community of life in mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, and sands" into this relationship and exploring the spatial and temporal coupling between SES can promote the sustainable use and management of SES elements and fill the gaps in existing research. Ganzhou City is rich in natural resources belonging to the most typical ecological region of southern China's hilly and mountainous areas, encompassing all system elements of mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, and sands. Taking Ganzhou as an example, this paper analysed the evolution patterns of social-ecological system assessment indicators from 2005 to 2020, aiming to gain an in-depth understanding of the complexity of social-ecological systems and provide a scientific basis for their management and protection. The results show that (1) there is an inter-system coupling logic in the social-ecological framework. It is mainly reflected in three aspects: the coupling between social system and resource system, the coupling between resource system and ecosystem, and the coupling between social system and ecosystem. (2) From 2005 to 2020, the social-ecological system assessment indicators were higher in the central-western and northeastern Ganzhou, and lower in the southern Ganzhou. The social-ecological systems in the mid-western region showed a pattern of medium and high coupling, with the west showing inter-system dissonance. The southeastern part mostly showed a low inter-system coupling pattern. (3) The integrated assessment indices of mountain, field, lake, governance, and social systems based on the SES framework showed an increasing evolutionary trend from 2005 to 2030. The integrated assessment indices of water, forest, grass, and actor systems showed a decreasing evolutionary trend. The study of the coupling pattern among the systems and the simulation prediction of their assessment indices based on the SES framework is of great significance for the in-depth understanding of the intrinsic mechanism of social-ecological systems, the formulation of relevant policies and management measures, the prevention of and response to ecological disasters and the promotion of sustainable development.