Abstract: The modernization of agriculture and rural areas in ethnic regions forms a crucial foundation and guarantee for the construction of a great modern nation. However, the complex and unstable conditions in these areas are often overly simplified into diagrams in many theoretical and practical analyses. This study delves into the historical evolution and actual achievements of agricultural and rural modernization in ethnic regions, focusing on three key aspects: development logic, practical responses, and implementation strategies. Research indicates significant disparities between ethnic and eastern regions in terms of development transitions, the small-scale peasant economy, regional structures, and governance models. The philosophy guiding the modernization of agriculture and rural areas in ethnic regions includes four main principles: utilizing the Houji agricultural system, fostering national unity, preserving ecological civilization, and enhancing the prosperity of border areas and their inhabitants. Despite these efforts, several challenges persist, such as misaligned modernization concepts, erosion of rural spaces, reduction of living spaces, underdevelopment of new growth engines, and difficulties in preserving rural identity. To address these issues, the modernization strategy for agriculture and rural areas in ethnic regions should focus on achieving systematic optimization and enhancing effectiveness in several critical areas: strengthening state presence and farmer organization, ensuring resilient governance and spatial rationality, implementing phased strategies and multifaceted operations, fostering value re-creation and dynamic capacity development, and inspiring spiritual cohesion and regional unity.