Riparian zone is an ecological ecotone that occurs between river and terrestrial ecosystems and also is sensitive and vulnerable ecological niches. There exists a riparian ecosystem degradation because of people disturbance, which influences the cycling of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the riparian zone. This paper analyzed the soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus distribution of typical vegetation riparian zones in upper reaches of Hun River. The results showed that all the natural shrub grassland, secondary forest, artificial pine forest could enhance the content of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus in 0–40 cm layer compared with corn field. The soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus content decreased with the increase of soil depth. The rate of decrease in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus with soil depth was significantly higher under natural shrub grasslands, secondary forest than under corn field. In 0–40 cm soil layer, the average content of soil organic carbon was highest under secondary forest (47.50 g/kg), followed by natural shrub grasslands (44.50 g/kg), artificial pine forest (34.72 g/kg) and then corn field (15.09 g/kg). The average soil total nitrogen was highest under secondary forest (2.53 g/kg), followed by natural shrub grasslands (2.50 g/kg), artificial pine forest (2.40 g/kg) and then corn field (0.84 g/kg). Also the average soil total phosphorus was highest under secondary forest (1.07 g/kg), followed by natural shrub grasslands (1.05 g/kg), artificial pine forest (0.92 g/kg) and the least under corn field (0.65 g/kg)