To improve high temperature heat resistance and poisoning resistance while a removal efficiency of NOx is raised by preparing an exhaust gas cleaning catalyst by adding a refractory inorganic oxide supporting platinum, a cerium containing oxide supporting palladium, and alkali metal compounds or the like.

An exhaust gas cleaning catalyst which is suitably used for a lean burn gasoline engine of an automobile is manufactured by forming in a three dimensional structure a product made by grinding and mixing a refractory inorganic oxide supporting partly or whohlly platinum, a cerium-containing oxide partly or whohlly supporting palladium, and alkali metal compounds and/or alkali earth metal compounds, or by coating a refractory three dimensional structure with the product. As the refractory inorganic oxide to be used, aluminum, ziroconium, titanium or silicon or the like are mentioned. Further, as the cerium-containing oxide, cerium oxide, cerium, zirconium, yttrium or the like are mentioned.