Uniform spindlelike Y(OH)(3) nanorod bundles were successfully prepared for the first time via a simple hydrothermal method at 200 A degrees C for 12 h with the presence of Na(2)H(2)EDTA center dot A 2H(2)O (EDTA). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the obtained Y(OH)(3) spindlelike nanorod bundles have a length of about 11 mu m and a diameter of about 2 mu m in the middle part. The nanorod bundles are composed of numerous nanorods, and all these nanorods are orientationally aligned and grow uniformly along the bundles. The individual nanorod is with typical width of about 100 nm, thickness of about 40 nm, and length longer than 1 mu m. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, and the concentration of NaOH and EDTA on the sizes and morphologies of the products have been investigated. The possible formation mechanism of the nanorod bundles was suggested. Spindlelike Y2O3 nanorod bundles were obtained after thermal treatment of the as-obtained Y(OH)(3) nanorod bundles at 700 A degrees C for 4 h. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) results demonstrate that the as-prepared Y(OH)(3) and Y2O3 are attributed to hexagonal phase and cubic phase, respectively. Eu3+ doped Y2O3 nanorod bundles were also prepared and their photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated.