A series of phenoxo-bridged heterometallic Schiff-base trinuclear complexes n-M-Zn [M = Cd(II), Pb(II), Nd(III), eu(III), Gd(III), Tb(III), and Dy(III)] have been synthesized by a rational structural design based on two symmetrical Schiff-base ligands N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)propylene-1,3-diamine (H2La) and N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)benzene-1,2-diamine (H2Lb). Single X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a similar molecular structure among the eight propeller-like and seven sandwich-type phenoxo-bridged n-M-Zn complexes. In the compounds Cd[Zn(L-a)-Cl](2) (1), {Cd[Zn(L-b)Cl](2) center dot H2O (2), [Pb[Zn(L-b)Cl](2) center dot 2H(2)O (4), {Nd[Zn(L-a)Cl](2)(H2O) center dot 0.5ZnCl(4) center dot 2H(2)O (5), and [M(III[)n-(L-a)Cl](2)(H2O)center dot 0.5nCl(4)center dot 2MeOH [M = Eu(7), Gd (9), Tb (11), and Dy (13)], two [Zn(L)Cl](-) units coordinate to the central metallion as a tetradentate ligand using its four oxygen atoms, forming a two-blade propeller-like left-handed and right-handed chiral n-M-Zn configuration despite the racemic nature of the whole complexes. Compounds and night-handed chiral n-M-Zn configuration despite the racemic nature of the whole complexes. Compounds Pb[n(L-a)Cl](2) center dot MeOH (3), {Nd[Zn(L-b)Cl](2()DMF)(OAc)center dot CH3CN(6), {Eu[Zn(L-b)Cl](2()DMF)(OAc)center dot CH3CN(8), {Gd[Zn-(L-b)Cl](2)(DMF)(2)center dot Cl center dot 2H(2)O (10), {Tb[Zn(L-b)Cl](2)(DMF)(2)center dot Cl center dot 2H(2)O (12), [Dy[Zn(L-b)Cl](2()DMF)(2)center dot Cl center dot 2H(2)O (14), and Pb[n(L-b)Cl](2)center dot 2H(2)O (15) exhibit a relatively rare sandwich-type structure with a central metal ion clamped by two [n(L)Cl](-) units. Photophysical studies indicate that all of the complexes exhibit luminescence both in solution and in solid sate, and there exists an energy transfer from the [n(L)Cl](-) unit to the central rare earth ions of Nd(III) (5 and 6), Tb(III) (11), and Dy(III) (for 13). In particular, systematic and comparative investigation of the photophysical properties of these trinuclear complexes reveals that the luminescence properties could easily be tuned by changing the central metal or the Schiff-base ligand.