Correlation and path analysis methods were used to study the relationship between soil properties and the distribution of different soil Hg fractions with nine representative soils from Chongqing, China. Results showed that clay (< 2 m) could increase water-soluble Hg (r = 0.700*). Soil organic matter (OM) could enhance the increase of elemental Hg (r = 0.674*). The higher the base saturation percentage (BSP), the more the residual Hg (T = 0.684*). Organic Hg, the sum of acid-soluble organic Hg and alkali-soluble Hg, was positively affected by silt (2-20 μm) but negatively affected by pH, with the direct path coefficients amounting to 1.0487 and 0.5121, respectively. The positive effect of OM and negative effect of BSP on organic Hg were the most significant, with the direct path coefficients being 0.7614 and -0.8527, respectively. The indirect effect of clay (< 2 μm) via BSP (path coefficient = 0.4186) was the highest, showing that the real influencing factor in the effect of clay (< 2 μm) on acid-soluble organic Hg was BSP. Since the available Hg fraction, water-soluble Hg, was positively affected by soil clay content, and the quite immobile and not bioavailable residual Hg by soil BSP, suitable reduction of clay content and increase of BSP would be of much help to reduce the Hg availability and Hg activity in Hg-contaminated soils. Correlation and path analysis methods were used to study the relationship between soil properties and the distribution of different soil Hg fractions with nine representative soils from Chongqing, China. Results showed that clay (<2 m) could increase water-soluble Hg (r = 0.700 The higher the base saturation percentage (BSP), the more the residual Hg (T = 0.684 *). Organic Hg, the sum of acid-soluble organic Hg and alkali-soluble Hg, was positively affected by silt (2-20 μm) but negatively affected by pH, with the direct path coefficients amounting to 1.0487 and 0.5121, respectively. The positive effect of OM and negative effect of BSP on organic Hg were the most significant, with the direct path coefficients being 0.7614 and -0.8527, respectively. The indirect effect of clay (<2 μm) via BSP (path coefficient = 0.4186) was the highest, showing that the real influencing factor in the effect of clay ( <2 μm) on the available Hg fraction, water-soluble Hg, was positively affected by soil clay content, and the quite immobile and not bioavailable residual Hg by soil BSP, suitable reduction of clay content and increase of BSP would be of much help to reduce the Hg availability and Hg activity in Hg-contaminated soils.