Zhang uses loose brushwork and limited outlines. Contrasting tonalities of ink delineate the undulating hills and the layering of trunks and branches in thickets of willows. Rows dense ink dots separate distincitve areas of the composition, implying foliage growing at the base of the willow trees in the fore and middle ground. Similar dots emphasises the edges of hills in the middle and deep distance, possibly representing trees. The hills along the far horizon are depicted in an even wash of dilute grey ink, read as deep spatial recession. The evenly saturated surface of the farthest hills is contrasted with the drier brushstrokes on the hills further toward the foreground. The buildings by the shore in the immediate foreground add a sense of scale to the landscape. The buildings also animate the scene by implying a human presence. In his signature Zhang identifies this work with an expressive style of painting known as xieyi 寫意.

The calligraphic rendition of a poem in the upper left of the composition alternates between regular and semi-cursive script types. The combination of poetry, calligraphy, and painting in this single object is intended to illustrate Zhang Qia's cultural accomplishment.