Agriculture is the basis of national economy. Through science and technology and the intensive utilization of land, great achievements have been made in agriculture. However, some agro-ecological and environmental problems are rising. Because of this, people have begun to reflect on agricultural developmental policy, patterns and technologies, and put forward new thoughts for agricultural development. In the late 20th century, China's ecologists and agronomists co-sponsored the concept of ecological agriculture with Chinese characteristics. Its essence includes a series of concepts such as integration, coordination, circulation and regeneration within agroecosystems or within systems of agriculture production, processing and marketing. After nearly 30 years of practice and development, ecological agriculture in China has achieved remarkable outcomes. However, current eco-agriculture development is unsatisfactory due to the following two factors: (i) A lack of research and accounting across a variety of agro-ecosystem service functions; (ii) It is difficult to obtain remarkable economic benefits because of the lack of market-oriented guidance, scale management, specialized production and brand popularization for the traditional autarkic peasant economy. In order to further promote the development of ecological agriculture it is necessary to engage in serious reflection on ecological agriculture in China and arrive at new understandings about circular economy, multifunctional agriculture, high-quality agriculture, industrial development, integration of the traditional essence and modern technology, and finally, the sustainable development of rural areas.