One of the characteristics of the radial sand ridge field (RSRF) in the South Yellow Sea off the Jiangsu coast is the distinctive radial tidal current field. Although many studies have focused on the hydrodynamic environment around radial sand ridges, the knowledge on the genesis of the radial tidal current is still in a very basic stage. This paper attempts to explore the formation mechanism of the local radial tidal current field by a schematized process-based model. Two factors which are hypothesized to be responsible for the radial tidal current pattern are investigated: coastline shape, and the submarine topography. The results show that the schematized model sufficiently represents the real pattern of the tidal wave propagation in the South Yellow Sea. A preliminary description of the formation mechanism and main influence factors are obtained through sensitive analysis.