The invention discloses a method for manufacturing nano-scale periodic structured photonic crystals, which comprises the following steps: (1) coating a layer of photo-sensitive resists with a thickness of less than 150 nm on the surface of a sample; (2) vertically fixing a reflector and the sample on a sample platform; (3) selecting the wavelength lambda and incidence angle theta of a laser beam sent to the surface of the sample according to a formula 2dSin theta=n lambda; (4) carrying out first exposure on the sample; (5) carrying out 60-degree or 90-degree rotation on the sample platform on which the sample is fixed, then carrying out second exposure on the sample so as to obtain the pattern of a nano-scale periodic structured triangular lattice or square lattice photonic crystal; and (6) taking down the sample subjected to two exposures from the sample platform, then carrying out development, photographic fixing, baking, and etching standard process engineering on the sample until a nano-scale periodic structured photonic crystal is obtained on the surface of the sample. The method disclosed by the invention is simple and rapid; and by using the method, high-precision and high-contrast-ratio nano-scale periodic structured photonic crystals can be manufactured on the surfaces of various materials.