Since the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, research on ecological civilization has surged. However, many still have a vague understanding of the concept, and interpretations vary significantly. Clarifying the concept of “ecological civilization” is crucial. The term “civilization” has two uses: one in everyday language, referring to enlightenment, progress, and beauty, contrasted with barbarism, and the other in historical context, indicating a comprehensive societal formation that transcends nonhuman animal lifestyles, inherently involving progress and development. The meaning of “ecology” should be defined according to ecology, which uses a “macrosystem approach” (Howard Odum). Corresponding to the two uses of “civilization,” there are two views of ecological civilization in Chinese: the “repairing” view, which sees ecological civilization as treating the environment in a civilized manner, and the “transcendence” view, which sees it as a new civilization surpassing industrial civilization. The transcendence view is considered profoundly correct. The divergence between these views essentially reflects the difference between modernity and nonmodernity. Understanding the concept of ecological civilization helps us realize that the global ecological crisis we face today is not merely a crisis of modern civilization but one entwined with all dimensions of civilization. Only through a systematic transformation of human civilization can we overcome the crisis and achieve sustainable development.