In recent years, general education has developed considerably in Chinese universities, but it still faces many challenges and problems. Among the various negative factors, four problems may be the greatest challenges currently faced by Chinese university general education and ordinary undergraduate education: (1) In the era of massified higher education, how can universities uphold the elite education quality and standard? (2) In the age of knowledge explosion, how can course systems uphold the principle of "few and refined" and not move toward "many and excessive"? (3) Today with extreme social utilitarianism, commodification, and marketization, how can universities remain relatively nonutilitarian, noncommodified, and nonmarketized? In other words, can universities today still become "scholarly societies" and can students still have the essence and character of "scholars"? and (4) In the age of globalization, what status and proportion should traditional Chinese culture, particularly Chinese classics, have in general education courses in Chinese universities? In this article, Yang Gan asserts his belief that general education in Chinese universities is being promoted in an extremely disadvantageous social atmosphere and under the restriction of various negative internal factors within universities. Herein, he focuses his discussion on the second question and also touches on the fourth question. He begins by briefly addressing the other two questions as they directly affect the development of general education and even constitute the most negative factors. [This article was translated by Jeff Keller.]