A new Mg(II)À Sm(III) heterometallic coordination polymer (Cp) with the formula [Sm 2 (pydc) 6 Mg 3 (H 2 O) 6 ] • 11H 2 O (1) (H 2 pydc = pyridine-2,6-dicarbolylic acid) has been solvothermal synthesized by reacting pyridine-2,6-dicarbolylic acid, Sm(NO 3) 3 • 6H 2 O, MgCl 2 • 6H 2 O and imidazole at 393 K for 48 h. It was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR and TGA. The results show that coordination polymer 1 exhibits a three-dimensional network structure and crystallizes in hexagonal crystal system, space group P6/mcc, with crystallographic data of a = 15.4203(6) Å, b = 15.4203(6) Å, c = 15.2563(6) Å, α = β = 90°, γ = 120°, V = 3141.7(3) Å 3 , and Z = 2. The twentymember water cluster structure and topological structure of compound 1 were analyzed, and its luminescent properties were studied. It presents the characteristic emission spectra of Sm(III) ions.