Abstract: The total content of rare earth element(∑REE) ranges from 66.8 to 218.3μg/g in surface sediments of Shenhu area of South China Sea. The average content of ∑REE is 128.1μg/g, relatively approaching the average content of ∑REE in China Loess; ∑REE is controlled by grain size and mainly concentrated in clayey silt. The change trend of standard curves of REE has no difference in various types of sediments, which suggests that the surface sediments of Shenhu come from the same material source and have characters of upper continental crust. Negative Ce anomaly is mainly affected by climate and environment changes in the source area, and has little to do with the sea. REE concentrations are negatively correlated with the contents of CaO,CaCO₃ and Sr, but positively correlated with the contents of Al₂O₃,K₂O and SiO₂ in these sediments, which shows that REE has nothing to do with the biological role, probably existing in the crystal lattice of Alsilicate minerals and being adsorbed on clay.