[Objective] The influence of rainfall on the instability of shallow landslides was determied in Xining City in order to provide a basis for the monitoring, early warning and prevention of rainfall-type shallow landslide disasters in Xining City. [Methods] The H7 landslide of Nanchuan East Road in Xining City, Qinghai Province was observed and investigated by using space-air-ground observation technology. Based on the fluid-solid coupling principle and unsaturated soil strength theory, hydraulic coupling numerical simulation was carried out to obtain the evolution of porewater pressure, stress, displacement, and plastic zone distribution of the slope under the action of rainfall. The intensity reduction method was used to calculate the slope safety factor under different rainfall durations. [Results] ① The overall landslide form of the H7 landslide on Nanchuan East Road was a long strip, which was a tractor-push landslide. The movement mode was manifested as unstable traction at the slope foot, deformation and sliding in the middle of the slope, and unstable pushing at the top of the slope. ② Rainwater infiltration caused soil saturation to rise, matric suction to dissipate, effective stress to decrease, and shear strength to weaken, resulting in the slope sliding force to increase and the anti-sliding force to decrease, thereby inducing the landslide stability of Nanchuan East Road to continue to decline. ③ After 72 h of simulated rainfall, a nearly penetrating arc-shaped plastic sliding surface was formed in the shallow soil, and the safety factor of the slope decreased from 1.17 to 1.01, indicating an unstable state of temporary stability-deformation. The maximum horizontal displacement was 6.89 cm at the foot of slope. The maximum vertical displacement was 5.98 cm in the upper part of the slope. [Conclusion] ① Space-air-ground observation technology can effectively support the investigation and evaluation of landslide disasters, and finite element hydraulic coupling numerical simulation has strong applicability and good effect for the study of the stability of rainfall-type landslides. ② The stability of the H7 landslide on Nanchuan East Road will be further reduced under high-intensity continuous rainfall, which will threaten the safety of roads, buildings and residents, therefore attention should be given to the potential landslide risk.