Firm Falsely Claims Official Access to Gaoligong Reserve

An unidentified institution has been advertising paid access deep into the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, claiming it holds “official cooperation” with the reserve’s management authority. The Baoshan Management and Protection Bureau issued a categorical denial on June 26, 2026, stating it has never authorized any such arrangement.

Background: A Globally Significant Reserve

Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve, spanning 405,500 hectares across western Yunnan, is one of China’s most biodiverse regions. Designated a provincial-level reserve in 1983 and upgraded to a national-level reserve in 1986, it was recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 2000. Known as the “World Species Gene Bank,” the reserve hosts 5,726 species of higher plants and 2,774 species of animals, making it a globally significant conservation area.

The reserve straddles the suture zone where the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate collided, stretching over 600 kilometers from north to south. It connects the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with the Indochina Peninsula and is administered by the Baoshan Management and Protection Bureau, which also carries the nameplate of the Gaoligong Mountain National Park Administration Bureau.

The False Claims

According to a report by The Paper, an unnamed institution claimed it had “official cooperation” with the Baoshan Management and Protection Bureau and could take participants “deep into the reserve.” The institution further promised to issue “certificates” from the reserve management authority and was using these claims to recruit participants for paid “study camps” (研学营) — a rapidly growing sector in China’s education tourism market.

The claims raised immediate concerns, as unauthorized commercial access to protected nature reserves violates both national and provincial regulations.

The Bureau’s Response

The Baoshan Management and Protection Bureau issued a formal three-point statement on June 26, published by both The Paper and Beijing Daily, categorically denying any cooperation:

First, the bureau stated it “has not signed any form of cooperation agreement with any social institution, nor has it authorized any institution to carry out activities under the name of ‘official cooperation.’”

Second, it declared it “has never organized, nor participated in, any for-profit so-called ‘scientific expedition camps,’ ‘exploration study tours,’ or similar activities.”

Third, the bureau reaffirmed that all scientific research, teaching, and investigation activities within the reserve must strictly follow the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Nature Reserves and the Yunnan Province Nature Reserve Management Regulations. “Any personnel or activities entering the reserve must be approved and reported according to law,” the statement emphasized.

The bureau urged the public to verify any claims of cooperation through its official channels and invited reports of suspicious activities.

Implications for Protected Areas

The incident highlights a growing challenge facing China’s nature reserves: the commercialization of protected areas through deceptive marketing. China’s “study tour” (研学) industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, creating incentives for commercial entities to exploit public trust in government authorities to lend credibility to paid access schemes.

By falsely claiming official backing, the unnamed institution sought to bypass the strict regulatory framework that governs access to national nature reserves. The Baoshan bureau’s swift and unequivocal response serves both to protect the ecological integrity of Gaoligong Mountain and to warn other potential violators that such practices will not be tolerated.

The case also underscores broader trends in China’s environmental governance, including increased transparency and public oversight. The bureau’s invitation for public reporting of suspicious activities reflects a growing emphasis on community participation in conservation efforts.

What’s Next

Several questions remain unanswered. The identity of the institution making the false claims has not been publicly disclosed, and it is unclear whether any enforcement action has been taken. The scale of the operation — how many people may have been deceived and whether the program was already underway or still in the planning stage — also remains unknown.

Legal consequences could follow under China’s nature reserve regulations or fraud laws, though no such action has been announced. The incident may also prompt broader scrutiny of the study tour industry and its use of government affiliations in marketing materials.

For now, the Baoshan Management and Protection Bureau has made its position clear: there is no official cooperation, no authorized paid access, and no shortcuts around the legal framework designed to protect one of China’s most precious natural treasures.