We report the Na 2 EDTA-assisted synthesis of the lanthanide (Ln 3+ ) ion doped one-dimensional YVO 4 nanobelts and nanorods by a facile hydrothermal route. XRD, TEM, EDS and FTIR techniques are used to characterize the microstructures of the synthesized nano-crystals. The morphology-dependent luminescent behaviors of Eu 3+ :YVO 4 are systematically investigated. Under a single wavelength UV light excitation, the Ln 3+ :YVO 4 (Ln=Nd, Sm, Eu, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, or Yb) nanorods exhibit visible to near-infrared (NIR) multicolor tunable luminescence via efficient host sensitization, while no emissions are detected for the Ce 3+ , Pr 3+ , or Tb 3+ doped samples. Based on the results, possible mechanisms depicting the YVO 4 host sensitizing or quenching of lanthanide emissions are proposed.