Abstract: Community-based co-management (CBCM) is one of the key mechanisms for national park authority to negotiate with communities. This research conducted literature review, case studies and contrastive analysis to sort out the origin and development path of CBCM. Based on the governance type of protected areas introduced by IUCN, the research put forward six models of CBCM, that are instruction, consultation, agreement, cooperation, joint management and empowerment. From six different countries belonging to diverse continents, which are Vietnam (Asia), Brazil (South America), Uganda (Africa), UK (Europe) and Canada (North America), the research respectively selected one typical CBCM case of protected areas for analysis. Research found that the initiative of CBCM was largely driven by conflicts over land use or natural resources, but the formulation of diverse models is influenced by comprehensive factors, such as land tenure, community conditions and administrative regime. This research further summarized six successful experiences and three common issues from case studies, and then provided inspirations and experiences for China’s national park system from the perspectives of model selection, policy formulation and practical implementation.