The　development　of　effective　nitrogen-doped　(N-doped)　metal-free　carbon　nanotube　electrocatalysts　with　high　activity　and　stability　to　replace　the　scarce　Pt-based　catalysts　for　the　oxygen　reduction　reaction　(ORR)　is　of　great　importance　in　energy　conversion　devices.　The　hierarchical　porosity　and　content　of　nitrogen　atoms　in　carbon　nanotubes　play　an　important　role　in　the　determination　of　active　sites.　The　use　of　metal-organic　frameworks　(MOFs)　as　templates　and/or　precursors　to　fabricate　porous　carbon　could　endow　the　resulting　products　with　their　merits　including　highly　doped　heteroatoms,　large　surface　areas　and　controllable　structures.　Herein,　core-shell　ZnO@ZIF-8　nanorods　were　employed　as　templates　and　precursors　to　fabricate　hierarchically　porous　N-doped　carbon　nanotubes　(NCNTs)　using　a　self-sacrifice　template　approach.　The　high　level　of　graphitization　and　nitrogen　content　of　the　NCNTs　could　be　tuned　by　adjusting　the　core-shell　ZnO@ZIF-8　nanorod　precursors　and　pyrolysis　temperature.　The　obtained　hierarchically　porous　NCNTs　exhibit　superior　performances　for　the　ORR　in　alkaline　media.　Impressively,　NCNT-24-800,　which　was　pyrolyzed　at　800　°C,　exhibits　an　excellent　performance　with　a　positive　onset　potential　of　0.06　V　(vs.　Ag/AgCl),　a　more　positive　half-wave　potential　at　-0.103　V　(vs.　Ag/AgCl,　a　positive　shift　of　27　mV　compared　with　Pt/C)　and　a　high　diffusion-limited　current　density　of　5.68　mA　cm-2　at　-0.8　V,　which　are　comparable　to　the　benchmark　commercial　20　wt%　Pt/C　catalyst.　Furthermore,　compared　with　the　traditional　Pt/C,　the　NCNTs　show　excellent　long　term　stability　and　methanol　tolerance.　The　self-sacrifice　template　approach　could　open　up　a　new　avenue　towards　the　fabrication　of　materials　with　unique　porous　structures　from　MOFs　as　highly　efficient　metal-free　electrocatalysts　for　the　ORR.　©　2017　The　Royal　Society　of　Chemistry.