There is a dramatic increase in the number of mainland Chinese students coming to Hong Kong to attend various courses. With the aim of developing a profound understanding of the adaptation of the mainland Chinese students (N = 210), this study tested the relationship between types of motivation and goal content when studying abroad with a wide array of adaptation and achievement outcomes within the framework of self-determination theory (SDT). Our results demonstrated that autonomous motivation emerged as the strongest predictor of various adaptation outcomes whilst preservation as a goal for studying abroad served as an important predictor of adaptation. Autonomous motivation is strongly linked to self-development while controlled motivation is strongly linked to preservation. Findings are discussed from cultural perspectives in order to better understand the dynamics of mainland Chinese students' adaptation.