In this work, ZnO microrods with etched surface are prepared by two-step hydrothermal reaction. ZnO microrods are prepared firstly by decomposing LHS-Zn under hydrothermal conditions. It is found that the (0001)-Zn face of ZnO microrods will dissolve partly due to the existence of LHS-Zn during further hydrothermal treatment, and ZnO microrods with etched surface are obtained. X-ray powder diffraction is used to determine the crystal structure, and scanning electron microscopy is used to observe the morphology of products. The photoluminescence spectra are investigated.