Abstract: Culture includes physical culture, culture of pattern and spiritual culture. Physical culture is the part that can be sensed, which is the physical form of culture and is regarded as the “hard culture”. Culture of pattern and spiritual culture are the internal structure of culture and is called “soft culture”. The physical aspect of culture varies according to the times, and is most active element in cultural development, but the internal “soft culture” is relatively stable and constant. The “hard culture” is the external expression of the “soft culture” to a great extent. The “soft culture” usually plays critical role in cultural differences. If one wants to understand a culture, he should master the characteristics of its “soft culture”.

Key words: soft culture, physical culture, culture of pattern, spiritual culture, cross-culture communication, high contextual culture, low contextual culture