Abstract: Although Marx rarely employed the concept of "modernization" explicitly, the historical materialism he founded focuses on the critique and emancipation of modern society and thus contains a rich and systematic understanding of modernization thoughts. From the perspective of historical materialism, the theory of modes of production reveals the fundamental driving forces behind modernization; the theory of world history clarifies both the unity and the diversity of the modernization paths;The theory of capital criticism reveals the inherent limitations of Western modernization; the critique of capital reveals the inherent limitations of Western modernization; and the theory of civilizational development indicates the progressive direction of human beings’ modernization. Chinese modernization is the socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. By sublating and transcending capitalist modernization, it provides a novel option and Chinese insights for human beings’ pursuit of modernization.