Using zirconium oxychloride solution as precursor, monoclinic zirconia crystallites with narrow distribution of nanosize were obtained in the hydrothermal reaction. However, when the reaction was in weak acidic medium or base medium, whether directly using the colloidal precipitate prepared from zirconium salt solutions with base solution as precursor added, or using the precipitate after filtrating, washing and drying treatments as precursor, the product of the hydro-thermal reaction was the mixture of both monoclinic and tetragonal polymorphs. As the pH of the medium rises, the content of tetragonal phase in the product, the morphologies and size of the crystallites all change. There are three types of formation mechanisms under hydrothermal condition, which can be called as saturation-precipitation mechanism in homogeneous solution, dissolution-crystallization mechanism and in-situ crystallization mechanism, respectively. The formation mechanism of crystallites varies with different hydrothermal condi Using zirconium oxychloride solution as precursor, monoclinic zirconia crystallites with narrow distribution of nanosize were obtained in the hydrothermal reaction. However, when the reaction was in weak acidic medium or base medium, either directly using the colloidal precipitate prepared from zirconium salt solutions with base solution as precursor added, or using the precipitate after filtrating, washing and drying treatments as precursor, the product of the hydro-thermal reaction was the mixture of both monoclinic and tetragonal polymorphs. As the pH of the medium rises, the content of tetragonal phase in the product, the morphologies and size of the crystallites all change. There are three types of formation mechanisms under hydrothermal conditions, which can be called as saturation-precipitation mechanism in homogeneous solution, dissolution-crystallization mechanism and in-situ crystallization mechanism, respectively. The formation mechanism of crystallites varies with different hydrothermal condi