Research has inadequately explored Chinese students' participation in asynchronous computer conferencing in Western universities. Systematic theory on these issues is likewise lacking.This study explores the influences of cultural factors on Chinese students' participation in asynchronous educational computer conferencing in Western schools. It involved six Chinese graduate students in a large urban Canadian university. Semi-structured interviews in Mandarin elicited these students' perceptions about participation in on-line courses, on-line instructors' roles, sense of on-line community and its effects on learning, and the cultural factors involved.These findings prompt some suggestions for Chinese students and Western instructors in on-line courses. They also suggest some directions for future research.Generally, the participants had positive attitude towards on-line courses. They found on-line courses compatible with some of their Chinese cultural patterns of teaching, learning and social interaction, while capable of countering cultural aspects (e.g. language, reticence) that posed problems to their learning.