Component-Based　Software　Engineering　(CBSE)　with　Open　Source　Software　and　Commercial-Off-the-Shelf　(COTS)　components,　Open　Source　Software　(OSS)　based　development,　and　Software　Outsourcing　(SO)　are　becoming　increasingly　important　for　the　Chinese　software　industry.　It　is　therefore　necessary　to　establish　pragmatic　and　possibly　nation-specific　guidelines　for　Chinese　software　companies　regarding　the　use　of　CBSE,　OSS,　and　SO.　Such　guidelines　should　be　based　on　insights　from　actual　practice,　which　are　in　our　case,　obtained　through　surveys.　A　European　state-of-the-practice　survey　on　COTS-　and　OSS-oriented　CBSE　was　conducted　in　Germany,　Italy,　and　Norway　in　2004-2005.　We　repeated　similar　surveys　in　China,　with　an　extended　survey　on　OSS　and　SO.　We　encountered　many　difficulties　in　conducting　the　surveys,　but　in　most　cases　managed　to　find　working　solutions.　We　report　on　the　lessons　learned　while　conducting　these　surveys.　In　particular,　we　address　issues　relating　to　sampling,　contacting　respondents,　data　collection,　and　data　validation.　The　main　lessons　are:　1)　it　was　necessary　to　cooperate　with　a　third-party　organization　with　close　relations　to　Chinese　software　companies;　2)　it　was　necessary　to　assign　researchers　to　this　third-party　organization　to　facilitate　data　collection　and　to　control　the　quality　of　the　data　collected;　and　3)　an　email　survey,　after　an　initial　telephone　call　to　establish　contact,　was　the　best　method　for　getting　questionnaires　completed　by　Chinese　respondents.　Copyright　2008　ACM.