This research aims to examine the liberal arts models of three institutions in three Chinese societies. The theoretical framework for the study is the capabilities approach. I use a qualitative method of document analysis to examine educational goals, missions, and curricula in the three institutions. The research finds that, with a focus on whole-person cultivation, liberal arts education in the three institutions follows the global model, but their curricula and understandings of liberal arts education are influenced by their social contexts and specific political, cultural, and historical factors. The study contributes to research regarding the diversification of university models at a time when the global research university dominates all ranking systems.