This paper reports a hydrothermal conversion process of rare earth microstructures, Y(OH)(3) nanofiber bundles, into YVO4 polyhedrons, together with the investigation on the related photocatalytic properties. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by a variety of techniques, including XRD, SEM, TEM and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of YVO4 polyhedrons were comparatively evaluated by the photodegradation of Rhodamine B and methylene blue. In contrast to the bulk oxide, the photocatalytic performance of the polyhedrons was much improved. The mechanism and the main active species involved in photocatalytic oxidative reaction were also investigated through the carriers trapping experiments. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.