This paper reports a case study of how junior secondary geography teachers in Changchun, China, planned and delivered their lessons. From the observation and interview data, it was found that teachers in the China mainland were strongly influenced by a compliance culture and uncertainty avoidance stance. It is argued that these cultural traits among teachers have significant implications on the implementation of the present wave of curriculum reform that encourages teachers to adapt curriculum for their students. (Contains 3 tables and 2 notes.)