Abstract: In order to evaluate the ecological risk of heavy metals in river sediments to the surrounding environment, and to provide a reference for the treatment of heavy metal-polluted rivers, Xiaobaihe River in Yunnan Province across the border between China and Vietnam was selected as a research object. The spatial distribution of different heavy metals in the sediments of an ecological restoration area was investigated. In addition, the potential ecological risk index and the risk assessment code (RAC) were adopted to preliminarily evaluate the contamination status and ecological risk of heavy metal contamination in the sediments. The results showed that: (1) The spatial distribution of five heavy metals in the sediments of the ecological restoration area exhibited differences. The average contents of w(As), w(Co), w(Cu), w(Pb) and w(Zn) were 937.64, 16.72, 156.23, 73.47 and 1117.47 mg/kg, respectively. Along the flow direction, the distribution of the contents of As, Cu and Zn decreased gradually, and increased when reaching the outlet of the ecological restoration area, whereas those of Co and Pb gradually increased. (2) The residual state was the main speciation of the heavy metals in the ecological restoration area, and their stability followed the sequence: As>Pb>Cu>Co>Zn. (3) According to the RAC risk assessment index, the heavy metals in the surface layer of sediment exhibited risks to the environment in the following sequence: Zn>Co> Pb>Cu>As. Based on the potential ecological risk index, As was the major contributing factor to the ecological risk, with a contribution rate was greater than 80%. As a consequence, in the process of environmental governance, we should not only consider the heavy metals which severely accumulate, but we should also pay attention to the ecological risk brought by the relatively higher content of the effective state of heavy metals.