The Westernization Movement was a self-help reform movement carried out by the Westernization School in the feudal ruling class of the Qing Dynasty in order to maintain the feudal rule of the Qing Dynasty. It was progressive, backward and conservative.

Westernization movement, also known as self-help movement and self-improvement movement. It was a self-help movement carried out by the Westernization School in the late Qing Dynasty in 19, 60-90 to safeguard the rule of the Qing Dynasty and introduce western military equipment, machine production and science and technology. The slogan of the Westernization Movement was "self-improvement" in the early stage and "seeking wealth" in the later stage.

The main guiding ideology of the Westernization Movement is the words "learn from foreigners to control foreigners" and "learn from China and use the West". The first four words "learning from foreigners to control foreigners" show the relationship between the Westernization Movement and foreign capitalist aggressors, that is, the way to learn western skills to resist western aggression.

Although the Westernization Movement did not make China rich and strong for more than 30 years, it introduced advanced western science and technology, which led to the emergence of the first batch of modern enterprises in China and objectively promoted the emergence and development of Chinese national capitalism.