Buddhism was widespread among both commoners and the elite. Among the elite, the most influential Buddhist sect was the Chan (better known in the present-day West by the Japanese pronunciation of the word — Zen).

The city we see in the scroll is unusual in having only one relatively obscure temple. As in earlier cities, the highest structure in Kaifeng, the Northern Song's capital, was a pagoda. Although pagodas don't appear in this scroll, they dominated the skyline of many cities during the Song dynasty, as they had in the Tang dynasty. Like the spires of Europe's cathedrals and churches, the city pagoda was often the first thing the traveler would see as he approached a city or town.