A ZnO/CdS heterojunction photoanode simultaneously decorated with separated Au and FeOOH cocatalysts is first established and applied in efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting. Enhanced optical performance is observed as well as the photocurrent density enhancement of 116% (5.38 mA·cm–2 at 1.23 V vs RHE) compared to that of a pure ZnO photoanode which can be ascribed to improved light absorption ability, enhanced charge transfer, and efficient charge separation. Furthermore, it is obviously seen that the onset potential is shifted negatively while the stability of the photoanode is promoted. This excellent performance is achieved because of the long light irradiation pathway of one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanorods; a broadened light absorbance spectrum sensitized by CdS with narrow bad gap; a reduced charge recombination rate thanks to the appropriate gradient energy gap structure of ZnO/CdS; and the bidirectional kinetics supplied by the dual Au and FeOOH cocatalysts to facilitate the photogenerated...