Abstract: Bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) was synthesized by a hydrothermal method with bismuth nitrate as the Bi source and ammonium metavanadate as the V source, and sodium acetate (NaAc) was used to adjust the pH. The structure and morphology of the product were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic performance of BiVO₄ on methyl orange (MO) was investigated under visible-light. The results showed that BiVO₄, synthesized at a pH value of 6.0, had a better photocatalytic performance. The degradation rate of MO reached 98.4% after 5 h, and the degradation rate of MO still maintained at over 95% after five cycles. Due to the excellent photocatalytic activity and stability of BiVO₄, BiVO₄ has a potential application in wastewater treatment.