By fancifully reinterpreting this Zen temple near Osaka as a Chinese retreat, Beisanjin cleverly reveals the heart and soul of the site, particularly its cultural heritage. A rice merchant in Osaka known for his love of learning, Beisanjin was an amateur painter whose quick flashes of insight were deeply admired by both his contemporaries and later literati artists. The patterned brushwork and overall energy of the painting surface reveal his study of Yuan-dynasty artists—notably Huang Gongwang (1269–1354)—and their successors.