This painting depicts a lively, busy scene along the banks of the Bian River outside the Eastern Corner Gate in Bianlian, then capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, at the Qingming Festival. The festival is a traditional holiday and one of the 24 solar terms. Customary activities include tomb sweeping, serving of cold food, picking willow branches, picnicking, and kite flying, all of which are fully displayed in the painting. A flow of wagons and carriages fills the streets, alongside both busy and idle peddlers, with farmers working in the background. The brushstrokes in elegant colors are both meticulous and free, offering a bird's eye panorama.