Located on the China — Burma border in Yunnan I— Province, the Gaoligong Mountain Nature Reserve, a sanctuary of wildlife with an area of 124,000 hectares, was set up in 1983.

Since special geographical conditions prevent the mountain from being hit by the Quaternary glacier. many ancient tropical plants have been preserved. The vegetation in the Reserve presents a clear vertical spectrum with six typical vertical zones. The forest cover goes up to 80 percent in the green mine.

According to preliminary investigation, the Reserve houses over 1.000 species of higher plants. The world—famous ”Giant tree ", 25metres tall, has a tree age of over 500 years. Bald China firs, with tall and straight trunks, which have been growing mainly in China, can live for over 1,000 years.

With complex animal families and rich resources, the Reserve, a "natural museum", is called a " corrider of north and south animals". There are over 140 species of mammals and over 300 species of birds .including 30 species under key state protection, such as white eyebrow gibbon, takin, lesser panda, white tailed monal, green peacock, red—bellied tragopan, etc.

With many volcanoes around the Gaoligong Mountain. the Reserve possesses abundant resources of terrestrial heat. There are 70 to 80 hot'springs and gaseous springs containing sulphur.