Rainfall simulations have been conducted to study the soil erosion process of purple soil in two cultiva-tion practices—contour cultivation and downslope cultivation. Results showed that under the two cultivation prac-tices,the surface runoff can be described by the logarithmic function formula. In the initial period of rainfall,the amount of runoff increased with the rainfall duration and 20 minutes later it became relatively constant. The chang-ing process of soil erosion rate may be described by the logarithmic function formula. The erosion rate increased with the rainfall duration and 20 minutes later it also became constant. Under downslope cultivation condition,the soil erosion rate increased more significantly than that under contour cultivation condition in the case of gentle rain-fall intensity,and there is no obvious difference in erosion rate for downslope cultivation and contour cultivation practices. However,with increasing rainfall intensity the soil erosion rate under the downslope cultivation condition could be more than 30 times that under the contour cultivation condition. But this kind of difference would be re-duced to some extent in the case of heavy rain. Rainfall simulations have been conducted to study the soil erosion process of purple soil in two cultiva- tion practices-contour cultivation and downslope cultivation. Results show that under the two cultivation prac tices, the surface runoff can be described by the logarithmic function formula. The initial period of rainfall, the amount of runoff increased with the rainfall duration and 20 minutes later it became relatively constant. The chang-ing process of soil erosion rate may be described by the logarithmic function formula. duration and 20 minutes later it also became constant. Under downslope cultivation condition, the soil erosion rate increased more significantly than that under under cultivation cultivation condition in the case of gentle rain-fall intensity, and there is no obvious difference in erosion rate for downslope cultivation And contour cultivation practices. However, with increasing rainfall intensity the soil erosion rate under the downslope cultivation condition could be more than 30 times that under the contour cultivation condition. But this kind of difference would be re-duced to some extent in the case of heavy rain.