Contemporary society has evolved into a knowledge-based society. With more and more challenges and uncertainties, a traditional, once-and-for-all education could never satisfy people’s demand for upgrading their knowledge and skills in order to adapt to the rapidly changing environment. Lifelong learning has become an effective and necessary way to cope with these problems. With this background, China has come to realise the great significance of lifelong learning and has firmly embarked on the mission to create a lifelong learning society.

However, because of the uneven development between different areas within China, the uneven distribution of learning resources has been one of the greatest obstacles to the realisation of a learning society in China. As a top university located in the cultural and educational centre of China, Tsinghua University has taken on a multi-dimensional role in the process of eliminating regional imbalance and promoting China’s lifelong learning society. It will also advocate, disseminate, impart thrust, and provide. For years it has placed much emphasis on providing education/training services for the common people by opening its door to society. Moreover, since 2003, Tsinghua University has subscribed to a national programme “Constructing the theory and practices of lifelong learning system in China” which is sponsored by the China Ministry of Education. As part of the programme, Tsinghua University has initiated four pilot learning projects covering four mainstream sections of Chinese society, namely learning city, learning countryside, learning community and learning army.

Based on the studies carried out by Tsinghua University, this article describes the implementation and effects of these four pilot projects, which can also be seen as a vivid snapshot of the construction of lifelong learning society in China.