Seven cores of recent sediments were obtained in Yangcheng I.ake, among which 102cm-core YCl and 55cm-core YC3 in the western part of the lake kept undisturbed. The core profile is divided into 3 lithological beds which are separated by 2 long-term sedimentation hiatus, namely upper bed A of sapropel, middle bed B of silty clay, and lower bed C of sticky silty clay (so called "hard earth bed"). ¹⁴C, ²¹⁰Pb, water content, grainsize? magnetic susceptibility, nutrient elements, metal elements (both total and liable facies), stable isotope of organic carbon and fossil pigments were analysed. Chronic stratigraphic study demonstrates that beds A, B and C belong respectively to the deposits of Late Pleistocene, Holocene and about recent 100 years. The environmental characteristics of every bed are described as follows. Bed C:Reworked fluvial sediments, in which lower values of TOC, TN, pigment content, CD/TC and heavy metals and higher values of C/N, δ¹³C, allogenic metals (Al, Na, Mg, Ca and Ti) manifest more intense erosion of catchment land, lower primary productivity and eu-trophic state. Bed B:Lacustrine sediments, of which every environmental proxy sits between beds A and C. Bed A:Lacustrine sediments, of which higher values of TOC, TN, pigment content, CD/TC and heary metals and lower values of C/N, δ¹³C and allogenic metals show enhanced primary productivity and eutrophication of the lake. Detailed analysis of the beds demonstrates slightly higher pollution coefficient of Cu, Co, Zn, Cr, Ni in 0-2cm on surficial sediments. In the accumulation rate profile, the accumulation of many heavy metals is increased gradually upwards, extensively since the 1970s. The accumulation rate of nutrient elements and pigments also indicate more intense lake eutrophication since the 1970s-1980s.