The research on the land use/cover change is one of the frontiers and hot spots in the global change researches. Based on remote sensing and GIS technology, the authors analyzed the spatial-temporal characteristics of land use/cover change in the border areas of Yunnan province by using MSS and TM data acquired in 1976 and 2004 respectively. The analytical result of remote sensing shows that the surface features are mainly forests and naked rocks, and subordinately farmland and waters. Remarkable changes include four types, namely, forestland, waters, farmland and naked land. Forestland and waters have decreased by 9.72% and 1.84% respectively, while farmland and naked land increased by 5.74% and 4.44% in the past thirty years. The problems of ecological environment and resources and the driving factors resulting from land use /cover change in the border areas of Yunnan province are analyzed