Aim The present study aimed to reflect the current situation of social participation in rural areas of China, willingness to participate in social activities, association between health‐related quality of life and social participation, and factors related to social participation. Methods A total of 2644 rural adults aged 60 years and older were randomly selected and surveyed with a self‐rating questionnaire. We used the unified definition of social participation in our study. The Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form Health Survey was used to measure health‐related quality of life. Results The overall engagement of social activities was 26%. Those who participated in social activities were more likely to have high scores of health‐related quality of life. Older men with a high educational level (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.01–2.29) living alone or with a spouse (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.08–2.12), high objective social support (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00–1.17) and high support utilization (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.21) were inclined to engage in social participation. Older women with high individual income (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25–2.43), single marital status (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.11–2.10), normal weight (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.10–3.34), overweight (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.24–4.19), living alone or with a spouse (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.20–2.00), objective social support (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.18) and subjective social support (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.10–1.20) were more willing to engage in social participation. Conclusions Engagement in social activities is relatively low in rural areas, and associations of willingness and health‐related quality of life with social participation were found. Policy‐makers and government workers should make appropriate types of encouragement policies around social participation for older adults in rural areas. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; ••: ••–••.