The　study　was　carried　out　in　a　small　urban　area　of　Fuzhou　University　Town,　China.　Traditional　sampling　and　analysis　techniques,　together　with　multivariate　statistical　and　geostatistical　tools,　were　applied　to　investigate　the　spatial　distribution　and　sources　of　eight　heavy　metals　in　the　top　soil.　For　polluted　soil　samples,　the　method　recommended　by　Ministry　of　Environmental　Protection　and　the　advanced　in　vitro　test　method　were　used　for　the　comparative　study　of　the　health　risks　of　soil　heavy　metals　through　oral　ingestion　pathway.　The　results　showed　that　in　general　there　was　no　serious　heavy　metal　pollution　problem,　though　the　Pb　and　Cr()　concentrations　of　some　soil　samples　exceeded　the　screening　values　of　the　latest　Chinese　national　standards　for　soil　environmental　quality.　Besides,　local　transportation　and　vehicles　were　found　to　be　the　main　source　of　heavy　metals　such　as　Cd,　Cu,　Pb,　Cr,　Ni,　and　Zn,　and　this　source　should　be　paid　due　attention.　Regarding　the　results　of　health　risk　assessment,　the　Chinese　national　recommendation　method　demonstrated　that　the　noncarcinogenic　risk　of　sample　Pb　was　1.53　times　the　acceptable　value,　and　the　carcinogenic　risks　of　sample　Cd,　sample　Ni,　and　two　samples　Cr()　were　1.01-43.5　times　the　acceptable　values.　In　comparison,　the　in　vitro　test　method　revealed　that　only　the　health　risk　of　sample　Pb　was　noteworthy;　in　terms　of　the　contributions　to　the　PTWI　of　Pb,　the　risks　reached　41%　for　adults　and　149%　for　children　in　the　stomach　phase,　and　significantly　decreased　to　5%　for　adults　and　18%　for　children　in　the　following　small　intestinal　phase.　The　in　vitro　test　method　was　developed　based　on　the　bioaccessibility/bioavailability　of　soil　heavy　metals,　and　thus,　it　is　considered　more　scientifically　sound,　without　overestimating　the　health　risks.　Hence,　it　is　recommended　that　this　test　be　introduced　in　future　soil　pollution　surveys.　This　study　provides　valuable　reference　for　local　urban　planning　and　management,　while　also　serving　as　an　inspiration　for　the　continuous　improvement　of　the　soil　pollution　survey　techniques　in　China.　©　2020,　Editorial　Board　of　Journal　of　Tianjin　University(Science　and　Technology).　All　right　reserved.