The quality of teaching in higher education is a topic which has generated heated debate in China, though there has been a remarkable paucity of empirical research into the characteristics of teaching and learning in Chinese universities. This study examined Chinese university students' course experience and its influence on their approaches to learning. A sample of 2529 students from 15 full-time regular universities responded to the questionnaire. Results indicated that the Course Experience Questionnaire could be a promising instrument for assessing the teaching quality in Chinese universities. Chinese undergraduate teaching was characterised by the dominance of developing students' generic skills, but a lack of emphasis on students' independence. The study revealed some desirable influences of university teaching on students' approaches to learning, but an increase in instructors' effort and commitment to teaching was found to facilitate a surface rather than a deep approach to learning. These findings highlighted the need to reflect on the teacher-centred nature of undergraduate teaching in China.