The concentration and distribution pattern of heavy metals of Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cr, Fe, Hg, Cd in the surface sediments of the Yangtze estuary and its adjacent areas were studied. Hakanson index method was used to evaluate the pollution level of the heavy metals of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Hg, Cd and their ecological vulnerability. It is found that the elements of Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cr, Fe are distributed in a declined pattern from the coast to the offshore within the estuary and its adjacent areas. The contents of these heavy metals are, in general, higher in the Xiangshan County and Zhoushan Islands rather than in the northern part.Hg are higher in the southern estuary and declines from the west to the east, while Cd is high in the south but lower in the middle estuary. According to the results of cluster analysis, the authors conclude that Xiangshan County and the offshore area out of the Yangtze Estuary up to the southwest of the Cheju Island are more vulnerable, and, therefore, more attention is required.