Cadmium sulfide tubular crystals, with the range of 0.5-2 mm in length, 10-20 mum in the external diameter and 3-6 mum in the wall thickness, were successfully grown in sodium hydroxide solution via a hydrothermal method at 350degreesC. XRD, SEM, and XPS methods characterized the products. A possible growth mechanism for the tubular structure was also proposed.