On October 8，1983, Xinjiang government approved the establishment of the Xinjiang Tarim Huyang Nature Reserve. This was upgraded to a national level nature reserve in February 2006. The protected area lies in Xinjiang Bayinguolin Mongol Autonomous State's Yuli and Luntai Counties. The coordinates are E84°15'~ 85°30' ,N40°55'~ 41°15'. Its area is 39.5 million hectares. The Huyang (Poplar diversifolious) forest and its associated ecosystem is the main target of this reserve.

The location of the protected areas is part of the 53 million hectares Tarim Basin, which is the world's largest inland basin. The Reserve is bisected by the Tarim River, the world's longest inland river with a length of 2 179 km it is north of the 34 million hectares Taldimakan Desert (the world's second largest desert).