Skopos Theory is an important part of German Functionalism Theory, and it is a translation theory put forward by German scholar Hans Vermeer in 1970s. Vermeer believes that translation research cannot rely solely on linguistics, and the most important factor in the translation process is the purpose of the overall translation behavior. Skopos Theory holds that the purpose of translation is the most important principle in translation activities, and translation strategies and methods should be determined by and serve the purpose of translation. Due to the differences in language and culture and social life, the problem of cultural default is becoming more and more prominent in cross-cultural communication. This requires us to strengthen crosscultural awareness and use a variety of translation methods and strategies flexibly in translation. This paper will analyze the translation of cultural default in Hong Lou Meng from the perspective of Skopos Theory, based on the phenomenon of cultural default in China’s classic novel Hong Lou Meng, in order to find the correct translation method of cultural default in literary works and improve the communication efficiency between the author and his intended readers.