It covers a vast stretch of the junction of Baoshan City, Tengchong, and Lushui County, towards the west side of Nu (Salween) River.

[1] Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve covers an altitude ranging from the Nujiang lowlands (700 m) to alpine Gaolingong environment.

[2] The unique climatic condition of the area allows a complete transition from temperate to tropical forest, which is rare in the world.

[3][4] As an international border, the reserve serves as a corridor of immigration and a melting pot of ethnics and nationalities.

Han, Dai, Lisu, Hui, Bai, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Nu, Achang, Jingpo, Wa, de'ang, Nakhi, Derung, and Tibetan form the multicultural population.

[2] The major livelihood patterns of these inhabitants are agriculture (especially of cash crops such as sugarcane), household industries such as handicrafts, carpentry, and logging.

Endemic genera include Paragutzlaffia, Metapanax, Notoseris, Syncalathium, Heteropolygonatum, Davidia, Berneuxia, Whytochia, Gaoligongshania, Eurycorymbus, Pterygiella, Dickinsia, and Sinolimprichtia.

The high mountain slopes (2,800-3,200 m) mostly contain shrubs such as Rosa sp., Rubus sp., Sorbus sp., Gentiana sp., and Pedicularis sp.

The western slope is mostly disturbed and contains few species of Lithocarpus sp., Acer davidii, Rosa omeiensis, Iris tectorum and Elaeocarpus sp.

Vulnerable species include Hoolock leuconedys, Budorcas taxicolor, Cervus unicolor, Helarctos malayanus, and Neofelis nebulosa.

[8] All the 14 endemic genera are under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) risk category[clarification needed].

[6] A new species of snub-nosed monkey, Rhinopithecus strykeri, which was originally described from northern Burma in 2012,[9] was also discovered in the reserve in 2011.

On the morning of 16 October 2011, a forest guard at the reserve took photos of a group of snub-nosed monkeys which were later identified as R. strykery.