A silicon-and zirconium-containing polymer precursor (PSZC) for SiC-ZrC-C ceramic was successfully synthesized by chemical reaction of phenol, paraformaldehyde, tetraethoxysilane, acetylacetone, and ZrOCl 2 Á 8H 2 O. The chemical structure, pyrolysis behaviors, and pyrolysis products of PSZC were characterized by the combination of FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, TG-DTG, XRD, Raman, SEM, and EDS. It indicates that the obtained PSZC might be Zr-O-Zr and Si-O-Si chain polymer connected by Si-O-Zr bond with hydroxymethyl phenol and acetylacetone as ligands. And the most probable reaction mechanism to form PSZC was proposed. Decomposition of PSZC is completed at 800°C, and it gives amorphous carbon, SiO 2 , and ZrO 2 with a yield of 70 %. During heat treatment, SiC forms at about 1500°C, followed by the appearance of ZrC. Defects of the carbon are cumulated to the highest at 1500°C. Further heating at 1800°C induces highly crystallized ZrC, SiC ceramic, and structure-ordered carbon with a structure of ZrC and SiC particles uniformly distributed in the carbon matrix.