Abstract: Investigating the impact of high temperature and drought on extreme vegetation productivity losses is crucial for better understanding ecosystem extremes, facilitating better adaptation to climate change, and mitigating climate impacts on agricultural production and socioeconomic systems. Using five sets of gross primary productivity (GPP) datasets, we study the contribution of high temperature and drought to extreme GPP losses in China from 1982 to 2016, considering both climatology and long-term trends. In terms of climatology, the area-averaged extreme GPP losses in China are −15.7 gC m⁻² a⁻¹. The frequency and contributions of high temperature and drought are comparable, with drought, high temperature, and combined high-temperature and drought events contributing 45%, 41%, and 23%, respectively, to total GPP losses. Regarding long-term trends from 1982 to 2016, more than 55% of areas in China have experienced an increase in extreme GPP losses, with a regional mean of −2.46 gC m⁻² (35 a)⁻¹. The increasing frequency of high-temperature, drought, and combined events significantly contributes to this trend, with drought frequency making the largest contribution −2.47 gC m⁻² (35 a)⁻¹, leading to an increasing trend in over half (61%) of the regions in China. From a regional distribution perspective, northern and central China experienced the most significant increases in extreme GPP loss from 1982 to 2016, marking these areas as hotspots affected by high temperatures and drought. This study quantifies the contribution of variations in the frequency of high-temperature and drought events in China over the past few decades to extreme GPP loss. It identifies terrestrial ecosystem hotspots in China that are significantly affected by the increasing frequency of these events, thus providing scientific support for better adaptation to and migration strategies for climate change and sustainable socioeconomic development.