Yu Cheng-yao joined the army from a young age at 19 and pursued his studies in Japan on economics. He joined the military school in Japan, and later returned to Huangpu Military school as a professor. With years of experience as a senior official in the army, Yu visited the majestic landscapes of China, which later appeared in his artwork. Yu started painting in 1954 without following classical practice. Hence his works are unique in composition and representation. The texture of rocks and the layers of hills are represented in his works as a tribute towards his passion towards the landscape.

At an mature age, Yu Cheng-yao started drawing with the Nature as his teacher. The brush and ink allowed Yu to express his unique character and his own interpretation of the landscape. "The painting has to be full framed without much space for the sky." By wiping out blank spaces, Yu allowed his work to focus on the landscape and the vibrancy of Nature, making his work the most genuine representation. Using two thirds of the panel describing the landscape of Sichuan, its ruggedness with overlapping layers. This is Yu's impression and passion of Sichuan or Shushan. The majestic view was enhanced with vibrancy by the criss cross strokes. Trees on the lower left blossom with white flowers, as if Yu was recalling the typical trees of Shushan. The intersecting lines depicted the lively growth of trees, as it echoes with the sounds of spring birds. As the stream flows downwards, rocks arise in their rigid rugged forms, echoing with the cottages along the meandering roads. Their composition highlights the respect of people towards nature, which echoes with the artist's love for nature.