When Cai Jing was demoted, the scroll was lost; it reappeared later in the collection of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song dynasty.
Monk Fuguang, a painter from the Yuan dynasty, wrote about it: "Since I was eager to learn from others, I have witnessed this painting for nearly a hundred times.
And it has bright colors and magnificent layout, which may make Wang Jinqing and Zhao Qianli ashamed when seeing this marvelous painting.
[10] Patricia Buckley Ebrey writes about Wang's style that the choice of blue and green colours can be seen as "a gesture of respect for the past"; besides colours, he borrows other Tang dynasty features - carefully drawn lines, and "perhaps the decision to feature people traveling through the landscape on foot, on horse back, and in boats".
She notes that his compositional methods are "entirely" Song: "mountains and trees are not outlined, the hills are volumetric, and the lighting effects are dramatic".
[6] Yuan dynasty Grand Secretariat Pu Guang wrote that the scroll is "a unique piece over a thousand years, comparable to the lone moon in a sky of stars".
[8] Wang Ximeng used typical technique of multiple perspectives, painting mountainous landscapes "naturally separated into six sections by bridges and water".
Murck writes that the scroll is a "superb visualization of the concept of 'a great lord glorious on his throne and a hundred princes hastening to pay him court'";[11] Yurong Ma writes that the painting "can express the image of peaceful world: the distribution of mountains and forests reflects the order between an emperor and courtiers, gentlemen and snobs; the mountain landscape is endless and steep, but it does not show the pass of the city defense, but emphasizes the leisurely elegance of the scholars and the livelihood of the people; the clear water and the blue waves are not only the performance of the season, but also the symbol of peace.
The mountain in the painting is running for thousands of miles, with high and low levels, and contains a strong sense of rhythm and order.