A new aryl amide type bridging ligand 1,4-bis{[(2'-benzylaminoformyl)phenoxyl]ethoxyl}benzene (L) and its complexes with lanthanide ions (Ln=Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and electronic spectra. At the same time, the luminescent properties of the Sm, Eu, Tb and Dy complexes in solid state and the Tb complex in solvents were also investigated. At room temperature, these four complexes exhibited characteristic luminescence emissions of the central metal ions under UV light excitation and could be significant in the field of supramolecular photonic devices.