A rotary counter-current solid/fluid contact apparatus is developed to enhance the efficiency of adsorption, ion exchange and regenerative heat exchange. The counter-current apparatus uses a rotor to direct fluids to multiple stationary columns. By the action of the rotor, counter-current flows of a fluid phase and a solid phase can be achieved for a combined adsorption and desorption cycle, or a combined heating and cooling cycle. The apparatus allows not only countercurrent solid-fluid flows based on columns in series, but also countercurrent solid-fluid flows in the length of each individual column. A method is also disclosed.