China, with one of fourth population in the world, has made great changes in politics, economy, culture, and education since 1978. These changes affect Chinese daily life including leisure. Numerous studies on leisure and leisure services have been completed in North America. However, few studies have been conducted on the areas in China. The purpose of this study was to examine the primary issues and opportunities of leisure and leisure services in China. More specifically, the study focused on the obstacles that prevented Chinese people from enjoying leisure activity and the facilitators that assisted to develop leisure and leisure services in China. Thirty-five journal and newspaper articles on leisure were analyzed and eight informal interviews were conducted with the experts in leisure and recreation. The results indicate that the primary obstacles are identified: (a) contradictory views between traditional Chinese work-orientation and “play hard, work hard” in western countries influence leisure participation, (b) there are lacks of leisure facilities, programs, and professionals, (d) huge population resists the development of leisure, (e) safety issue impedes children from participating in leisure activity, and (f) unbalanced development in economy in different areas results to the unbalanced development in leisure. However, increasing opportunities for the development of leisure and leisure services in China has appeared as the country continually takes the open policy. The opportunities are showed in the following areas including: (a) increasing needs for leisure services has become huge impetus to promote leisure development, (b) more foreign investment have been attracted into the markets of leisure services, (c) Chinese people have had more discretionary time and five-day working and longer holidays provide individuals with more time to enjoy leisure activity, (d) tourism has become a fad and more families choose traveling in China and abroad during their holidays, (e) the reform of healthcare system has waked individuals’ health consciousness and increasing people participate in physical activity, (f) leisure education has been paid great attention to and universities plan to offer leisure education programs. In short, leisure and leisure services in China are facing various opportunities and challenges. It is predicted that the country will have great chances to develop leisure and leisure services in the near future. Keyword(s): recreation programming