Abstract： The survival and growth of Picea likiangensis seedlings were investigated for 4 years in variously sized canopy gaps and with-in gap position on the Yulong Snow Mountain in northwestern Yunnan, China. There are small (gap area<50 m2), medium (gap area 50～100 m2) and large (gap area>100 m2) gaps in P. likiangensis forest, and they account for 25%, 41% and 34%, respectively. The experiment was conducted in the three different sized gaps and understorey, and with-in gap position (north, south and center) in each gap. The seedlings were originated from natural seed rain. The results showed that there were significant differences in size and number of seedlings between gap and understorey. After four growing seasons, seedlings in large gaps were found 5 times more than in small ones, but those in control areas were seldom found (only 0.2 ind.10 m-2). The survival of P. likiangensis tended to reduce from south through center to north positions within the larger gaps, whereas it was not varied with-in gap position in small and medium ones. The seedling size in terms of height and basal diameter in different sized gaps were as: medium > small > large > understorey, and so was relative growth rate. The average annual growth of height was (7.1±0.5) cm in medium gaps. The size of seedlings was not different with-in gap position in medium and small gaps, but seedling height peaked just south of gap and declined towards the center, north edges in large gaps. The seedling establishment was greater in gaps than in closed-canopy areas. Due to adapt to light condition in medium gaps the seedling's relative growth rate was the greatest, but was relatively low relative growth rate in portion of large gaps more exposed to direct solar radiation as well as in the portion of small gaps shaded to weak solar radiation. The author suggests that medium gap size be suitable for regeneration of P. likiangensis forest based on the changes of survival and growth of seedlings for four growing years in the early period. Fig 4, Tab 2, Ref 23