This rosefinch lives in mountain areas from south-eastern Tibet and north-western Yunnan to parts of central China. Males are crimson, while females are mainly brown.
Males have crimson heads, backs, rumps, and underparts, with dark brown wings and tail. Females are olive-brown above and pale grey-brown below.
It uses rocky valleys, forest edges, and open places with thick undergrowth beside coniferous or mixed forests. Recorded from 1,400 to 3,600 m, it forages on the ground.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.