Abstract: Engels' theoretical texts contain the discussion of the relationship between human and nature in different periods and show a clear development history. In the early period, Engels broke through the tradition of Pietism and endowed man and nature with independent status. In the middle period, he transcended mechanical materialism and idealism and used dialectical materialism and historical materialism to understand the human-nature relationship. In the late period, based on the development of natural sciences and from the broad vision of anthropology, his understanding of the relationship between man and nature was enriched and expanded. The development history of Engels' thought, not only in individual aspect, but also in mankind thinking sense, has important enlightenment, that is, we should avoid mysticism, idealism, mechanism and metaphysics in understanding of the relationship between human and nature again, and further expand and deepen our understanding of the human-nature relationship on the basis of Engels' thought. Xi Jinping's discourse that human and nature are a community of life is a model of inheriting and developing Engels' thought on the relationship between human and nature.