After the Industrial Revolution occurred in 18th Century, western society had been changed abruptly. New manufacture mechanism required new knowledge and new techniques cooperated. It conducted the western countries a new direction of talent cultivation. After the middle period of 19th century, China suffered from the upheaval caused by both homeland and foreign countries. The late empire was impelled to begin a series of alteration. Meanwhile, as the influences of western ideology, the traditional education system was getting criticism. The society needed all kinds of talents, therefore, the industrial education was conducted to improve the occasion. The intellectuals relied on the developing of industrial education to save empire, not only for the heavy industry but also the light one, thus the economics of the country could be improved, But the results fell short of expectations. Many graduates of industrial schools could not find jobs and also the economies did not have bettered. The ideal that the new educational system implemented in order to elevate the development of country economics was disillusioned. In this situation, some intellectuals changed their avocation from industrial education to vocational education, which emphasizes the importance of the consistency between educational practice and social demands. And the country economics would grow up after the people could satisfy their livelihood. Because of the transition from industrial education to vocational education, it represented the Chinese intellectuals had had different mind on the relationship between the development of modern society and education implement.