CdS hollow structures were built up by using the one pot method and using carbon disulfide (CS2) and ethylenediamine as starting materials. CS2 is insoluble in water and could form metastable oil droplets in the water at a moderate temperature. The oil droplets formed chains in the circumvolving water. CdS crystals grew and mineralized on the surfaces of the CS2 droplet chains, forming CdS shells around the unreacted CS2 cores. After the surrounding temperature was raised above the boiling point of CS2, the unreacted CS2 cores vaporized, leaving the CdS shelled hollow structures. The CdS hollow structures were characterized by using a transmission electron microscope, an X-ray diffractometer, a UV-Visible spectrophotometer and a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The CdS hollow structures were mainly tubes with closed ends. The exterior diameter and the interior diameter of tubes were about 50nm and about 15nm, respectively. Compared with the absorption onset wavelength of the bulk CdS, the CdS hollow structures exhibited a blue shift of about 57nm. While excited at 213nm. the CdS hollow structures emitted greenish blue light centered at 470nm.