This piece of research tackles the question of whether cultural models are inherently constituted by metaphor or they exist without prior metaphorical understanding. In order to provide an answer, this article makes use of English and Chinese linguistic manifestations of metaphors, exploring their connection to the corresponding cultural models. The author contends that the relationship between metaphor and cultural models relies on mutual enrichment and dependece rather than an either-or one. In other words, neither of them is dominant over the other: cultural models are influenced by metaphor, and cultural models play a significant role in selecting and shaping metaphors. In addition, new metaphors create new models.