Since the founding of the modern Chinese state in 1949 until the end of the century, China has mobilised and experienced several social/political movements and economic transformations. Entering the twenty-first century, China's repositioning within the global context has brought about its new national policy and blueprint to build a socialist harmonious society. Using some leading ideologies as criteria, the central administration and leadership can primarily be clustered into three phases, which divides Chinese contemporary history into roughly three developmental periods. Historically, Chinese adult education has served as an effective means of resolving the nation's political, socioeconomic, and educational issues with the exception of some damages and interruptions experienced during the political movements of the "Great Leap Forward" in the 1950s and the "Cultural Revolution" in the 1960s. The development of Chinese adult education has also reflected China's economic boom and social advancement. This paper, presenting the three main periods of China's development under three different administrations and leaderships, reviews the historical development of Chinese adult education, examines how the purposes and roles of adult education have been adjusted and modified within certain social contexts, serving the nation's needs, and reflects on some issues and discusses future trends. (Contains 4 tables and 3 notes.)