【Objective】 The aim of this paper was to reveal the ecological risk of heavy metals in farmland soil in Liping County of Qiandongnan prefecture, and provide scientific basis for safe production of crops and prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in farmland soil.【Method】 The single factor pollution index, Nemero comprehensive pollution index and Hankanson potential ecological risk index method were used to analyze pollution degree of chromium(Cr), lead(Pb), cadmium(Cd), arsenic(As) and mercury(Hg) in cultivated soil in Liping County, and their potential ecological risks were evaluated as well.【Results】The average concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd, As and Hg in the soils were 68.39, 23.55, 0.22, 6.16, 0.15 mg/kg, respectively. Hg concentration was 1.36 times as the background value of soil in Guizhou province. The average single factor pollution index of Cr, Pb, Cd, As and Hg were 0.74, 0.47, 0.31, 0.19 and 0.09, respectively. The over standard rates of Cd was 3.4 %. The mean value of Nemerow integrated pollution index was 0.68, indicating that there was no pollution in Liping county. The low, medium and heavier potential ecological risk levels of Cd accounted for 91.5 %, 6.8 % and 1.7 % respectively. The low and medium potential ecological risk levels of Hg accounted for 95.9 % and 4.1 % respectively. 【Conclusion】There is no potential ecological risk for heavy metals in cultivated soils in Liping county. However, there is still existence of ecological risk for relative heavy Cd level and moderate Hg level in some villages and towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]