The design of efficient artificial photosynthetic systems that harvest solar energy to drive the hydrogen evolution reaction via water reduction is of great importance from both the theoretical and practical viewpoints. Integrating appropriate co-catalyst promoters with strong light absorbing materials represents an ideal strategy to enhance the conversion efficiency of solar energy in hydrogen production. Herein, we report, for the first time, the synthesis of a class of unique hybrid structures consisting of ultrathin Co(Ni)-doped MoS₂ nanosheets (co-catalyst promoter) intimately grown on semiconductor CdS nanorods (light absorber). The as-synthesized one-dimensional CdS@doped-MoS₂ heterostructures exhibited very high photocatalytic activity (with a quantum yield of 17.3%) and stability towards H₂ evolution from the photoreduction of water. Theoretical calculations revealed that Ni doping can increase the number of uncoordinated atoms at the edge sites of MoS₂ nanosheets to promote electron transfer across the CdS/MoS₂ interfaces as well as hydrogen reduction, leading to an efficient H₂ evolution reaction.