Paddy cultivation area in China accounts for 23% of world's total paddy fields, as well as 40% of world's total rice yields. Anthropogenic activities, such as pesticide and herbicide application, mining, and irrigation with contaminated water have significantly enhanced heavy metal levels in some paddy soils. Thus, it should be important for the development of practical approaches to reduce heavy metal accumulation in rice. Sulfur is one of important elements in environmental chemistry of soils because there are six oxidation states of sulfur from -2 to +6, a series of sulfur compounds and chemical reactions linked to soil quality. This review was to summarize the data about sulfur in paddy soils with view to its content, fractions, transformations, chemical behaviors of sulfur in the rhizosphere of rice and their link to heavy metal uptake in rice. The further research needs on environmental chemistry of sulfur in soils were also suggested.