A three-dimensional free-standing hard carbon (FHC) electrode is synthesized by carbonizing the hemp haulm and employed as anode for sodium-ion batteries directly. A high current charging-discharging process is carried out to reconstruct surface structure of the FHC. Surface reconstructed FHC display a high capacity of 256 mAh/g and enhanced rate ability. With the formation of order surface structure, the plateau capacity increase and more sodium ions can insert into the FHC. This work demonstrates the importance of surface structure for sodium ion diffusion and storage and provide a new strategy to design high-performance anode materials. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.