Distribution and forms of heavy metals in the topsoil (0~20 cm) of polluted paddy soils around the Guixi Copper Smeltery, Jiangxi Province, were investigated. Using the sequential extraction procedure, four fractions of Copper (Cu), Cadium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) were determined in soils collected from two kinds of pollution regions, i.e. slag polluted region (SP in abbreviation) and wastewater irrigated region (WW). The paddy soils in the research area were polluted mainly by Cu and Cd, and the pollution level was higher in SP than in WW. The mean contents of soil Cu, Cd and Pb was higher in SP than in WW, but that of Ni just contrary. In the surface soil layer (0~20 cm), Cu was dominated mainly by the fraction of organic-matter-bound Cu; Cd by exchangeable and carbonate bound Cd; Pb by organic-matter-bound and Fe/Mn-oxide-bound Pb; and Ni by mineral Ni, i.e. residual Ni. The proportion of available fractions of soil heavy metals followed the sequence of Cd > Cu > Pb > Ni. Besides, obvious correlations between various fractions of soil heavy metals, suggesting consanguinity of these metals. Soil pH influenced the distribution of soil Cu in WW, as well as the exchangeable and carbonates bound Ni in SP. However, soil organic matter content showed less influence.