An intriguing conversion of arylglyoxal, cyclic dicarbonyl compounds and phenols to diverse furan analogues under FeCl3 or MeSO3H catalysis is reported. Utilizing this synthetic protocol, a variety of furan analogues could be easily obtained in moderate to good yields with different substituted patterns by varying the reaction medium. Atom-economical characteristics and mild conditions of this method are in accord with the concept of modern green chemistry.