The invention discloses a method for positioning facial features based on an improved ASM (Active Shape Model) algorithm, belonging to the technical field of visual and image treatment of a computer. The method comprises the following steps of: firstly, manually calibrating feature points; secondly, establishing a statistical shape model and a local gray model of an upper model and a lower model; thirdly, separately searching and matching the feature points in the upper model and the lower model; and finally, generating an example of a comprehensive model restrained by an energy function. To solve the problem that the traditional ASM method is difficult to position features under the facial expression conditions of a human face, the method for positioning facial features based on the improved ASM algorithm, disclosed by the invention, comprises the following steps of: carrying out the regional division of the facial features into an upper shape region and a lower shape region according to the change correlation, separately modeling the statistical shape model and the local gray model, generating examples of comprehensive shapes for the upper model and the lower model to restrain errors by introducing an energy function to the feature matching and searching process, and finally, obtaining an accurate feature positioning result. Due to the method for positioning facial features based on the improved ASM algorithm, the feature positioning accuracy of the ASM algorithm to the existing facial expression conditions are further improved.