Abstract: With the increasing global warming and the frequent occurrence of extreme compound drought heatwave events, it is still unclear how the gross vegetation primary productivity (GPP) in the protected areas of China has been affected. In this paper, we used the Standardized Dry and Hot Index (SDHI) as an indicator of compound drought and hotness to assess the spatial and temporal characteristics of GPP and SDHI in China's warm seasons from 2001 to 2019. We then analyzed the relationship and time scales between the response of GPP to SDHI and extreme compound drought heatwave events. Additionally, we explored the differences in the response relationship between GPP of forest lands and shrub grasslands inside and outside the protected areas to SDHI and extreme compound drought heatwave events. The results show that (1) the trend of warm season GPP change in China is characterized by rising in the north and south and decreasing in the middle, and most of the regions show an upward trend. (2) The trend of warm season SDHI change in China is characterized by rising in the north and decreasing in the south, and most of the regions show a downward trend, indicating an intensification of drying and heating. (3) The average response time of warm season GPP to drought and hotness changes in China was 1.50 months, and the spatial heterogeneity of response time was not obvious, and the vegetation growth of forest lands and shrub grasslands within the protected area was less susceptible to the limitations of compound drought and hotness. (4) The average response time of warm season GPP to extreme compound drought heatwave events in China was 0.88 months, and the spatial distribution of response time was characterized by low in the north and high in the south. The role of protected areas in helping vegetation, especially shrub grasslands, to withstand extreme compound drought heatwave events was not obvious. The results of the study help to reveal the response relationship of GPP to extreme compound drought heatwave events, and provide a scientific basis for climate risk assessment and the formulation of climate change response programs.