Chalcogenide thin films incorporating rare-earth (RE) elements with applications in optics, electronics, and magnetics have received considerable attention. Aiming at growing pure chalcogenides, dry-method syntheses have been developed. In this review, we summarize the progress thus far on lowdimensional RE-based chalcogenides (RECs), covering fabrication methods, structures, and applications. This review also provides the summary and perspectives of the challenges of fabrication and opportunities on the application of RECs in the future.chalcogenide, dry-method synthesis, rare earth elements