Supported Pd or Rh catalysts were prepared by the solid-phase crystallization method starting from hydrotalcite anionic clay minerals based on [Mg6Al2(OH)(16)CO32-]. 4H(2)O as the precursors. The precursors were prepared by a coprecipitation method from the raw materials containing Pd2+ and various trivalent metal ions which can replace each site of Mg2+ and Al3+ in the hydrotalcite. Rh3+ was also used for preparing the catalyst as comparison. The precursors were then thermally decomposed and reduced to form supported Pd or Rh catalysts and used for the methanol decomposition to synthesis gas. Among the precursors tested, use of Mg-Cr hydrotalcite containing Pd2+ resulted in the formation of efficient Pd supported catalysts for the production of synthesis gas by selective decomposition of methanol at low temperature. Although Pd2+ cannot well replace the Mg2+ site in the hydrotalcite, the Pd supported catalyst (Pd/Mg-Cr) prepared by the solid-phase crystallization method formed highly dispersed Pd metal particles and showed much higher activity than that prepared by the conventional impregnation method. When the precursor was prepared under mild conditions, more fine particles of Pd metal were formed over the catalyst, resulting in high activity. It is likely that the high activity may be due to the highly dispersed and stable Pd metal particles assisted by the role of Cr as the co-catalyst.