The purpose of the study was to investigate Chinese adults' motivational orientations for learning and the deterrents to participation in educational activities and compare the motivational factors and deterrents to participation between Chinese men and women. The participants in the study were 377 Chinese men and 202 women from fifteen adult education programs in Chengdu city, China southwest capital of Sichuan province.Roger Boshier's Education Participation Scale and Scanlan and Darkenwald's Deterrents to Participation Scale were used as data collection instruments. The mean scores of EPS and DPS items were calculated and used for examination of the extent to which they influenced Chinese adults' decisions to and not to participate in educational activities. The data from EPS and DPS were analyzed by using Chi-square statistics to examine the relationship between Chinese men and women in terms of motivational orientations for learning and deterrents to participation.The study found that the factor of Professional Advancement showed the strongest motivation which influenced Chinese adults on their decisions of participation in adult education. Followed by the factor of Social Welfare and the factor of Social Relationship. The factor of ExternalExpectation was found the least influential typology on decision of participation.The deterrent factor of Lack of Course Relevance showed the highest summed mean scores of all six dimensions. The reasons related to the institutional barrier appeared to have the strongest influence on Chinese adults' decisions not to participate in adult education. To a lesser extent, mean scores in the factors of Time Constraints and Cost indicated moderate influence on decisions not to participate. The Personal Problems was found with the lowest mean score in the Deterrents to Participation Scale.Significant differences were found between Chinese men and women in the factors of External Expectations, Escape/Stimulation and Cognitive Interest at .01 level (p.<.01), and factors of Social Relationship and Social Welfare at .05 level (p.<.05).In terms of deterrents to participation, significant differences were found between Chinese men and women in the factor of Time Constraints at .01 level, and the factors of Lack of Course Relevance, Cost and Personal Problems at .05 level. / Department of Educational Leadership