Following the advanced concept of "taking mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands as a life community", the implementation of overall protection, system restoration, and comprehensive management of ecosystems is important for promoting the development of ecological civilization. Currently, related research mainly focuses on connotation, mechanisms, and enlightenment. This provides theoretical and technical bases for the ecological protection and restoration of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands but lacks systematic combing and summarization. Using the Qilian Mountains, which is an important ecological function area in China, as a case study. Based on the ecological status, degradation phenomenon and cause, the present study summarizes the typical ecological protection and restoration measures, proposes targeted strategies. The aim of the study is to provide a model demonstration for the ecological restoration of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands. The main drivers of ecological degradation include global warming, human activity, restriction of traditional development concept, and insufficient investment in environmental protection. Typical ecological protection and restoration measures have covered all aspects of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands, but how to organically integrate engineering measures to transform ecosystem into "life communities",it still require further exploration. The theory and practice of ecological protection and restoration need to be improved by strengthening basic research and technological innovation, strengthening unified planning and collaborative management, actively improving the ecological compensation mechanism, and establishing the ecological restoration concept from project management to natural restoration.