Designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2000, Gaoligong Mountain is celebrated as a "global gene bank of species" for its astonishing biodiversity.

Stretching across the Hengduan Mountains in western Yunnan, Gaoligong Mountain rises from lowland valleys at 210 meters to alpine peaks at 5,128 meters, nurturing an extraordinary variety of climates and ecosystems.

The reserve covers about one-fourth the area of Beijing and is the most biodiverse region in China. Spanning five latitudinal zones, it is the only place on Earth that still preserves vast transitional zones from humid tropical forests to temperate forests — home to over 5,000 plant species and more than 3,000 animal species.

The Skywalker Gibbon（Hoolock tianxing）— the only ape species ever named by Chinese scientists — finds its main habitat here, and Gaoligong Mountain is the biodiversity hotspot and critical refuge for non-human primates in Eurasia. This rich ecosystem is also home to the rare Nujiang snub-nosed monkey, millions of insects and moths flutter through the air, and the world's largest tree rhododendrons soar skyward. Birdwatchers from around the world are drawn here.

Gaoligong Mountain is also the birthplace of the Chinese mainland's first farmer-led biodiversity conservation group and its first nature school — marking key milestones in public participation in ecological protection.