Soil hydraulic properties regulate hydrological processes， energy exchange， carbon and nitrogen cycling processes and the interactions among them over multiple scales. This study first briefly reviews the advancement in soil hydrological research over the past 30 years， including in situ observation and monitoring of hydraulic properties， the effects of soil hydraulic properties on hydrological processes， and the mechanism and scaling effects of soil hydraulic properties on hydrological processes at multiple spatial scales （soil profile， hillslope， watershed， and region）. Subsequently， it discusses the challenges and opportunities in soil hydraulic property research. Finally， it describes a case study of analysis of impacts of soil hydraulic properties on hydrological processes in the Qilian Mountain Ranges in Northwest China. This study serves as food for thought to improve current understanding of the effects of soil hydraulic properties on hydrological processes， enhance soil hydrology and mountainous hydrology， and in turn， support water resources management and regional sustainable development.