Many institutional symbols of Chinese early modernization appeared during the end of 19 th century, is the same with sociology in China. The process of introduction of sociology into China had the similar steps to the introduction of modern utensils,institutions and cultures. This paper takes sociology as a kind of symbols of modern conception,methodology and institutions in the early modernization in China. Through retrospection to the origins of sociology in China, based on the analysis of essential characteristics of sociological thought and symbolic meaning of social survey,the paper proposes that the inertia of tendency of sociology in China produced in its early period has exerted some important influence on later development. Many institutional symbols of Chinese earlylife occurred during the end of 19 th century, is the same with sociology in China. The process of introduction of sociology into China had similar to to introduction of modern utensils, institutions and cultures. This paper takes sociology as a kind of symbols of modern conception, methodology and institutions in the early modernization in China. Through retrospection to the origins of sociology in China, based on the analysis of essential characteristics of sociological thought and symbolic meaning of social survey, the paper that the inertia of tendency of sociology in China produced in its early period has exerted some important influence on later development.