Generally speaking Tanch'long connotes the patterns painted on the exposed frames of the eaves or doors of traditional wooden buildings and is also used on wooden sculptures and handicrafts. Tanch'tong was used not only for decorative purposes but also for preservation, by concealing flaws of exposed naked wooden frames. It was widely used as a decorative motif in palatial and temple buildings. It was also often found on T-shape shrines in royal tombs, in filial sons' and faithful wives' memorial shrines, and on Confucian shrines.

Another of the key components of the tanch'rong pattern is the five cardinal colors. The Chinese have patterns similar to Korean tanch'rong, but with red and green being dominant, so that they are less resplendent. Such patterns are seldom seen in Japan.

Lotus, pomegranate, and other floral designs form the major tanch' ong patterns in the extant royal palaces and temples. Variations of chrysanthemum and peony were also popular subjects. The popular tanch'rong paintings on lintels, interior walls, beams, canopies, ceilings, and columns of palace and temple buildings all used these motifs. These included: the four auspicious animals, namely the dragon, phoenix, turtle, and kirin (or qilin in Chinese, which was a kind of legendary animal); a Pegasus-like heavenly horse; a lion; a crane above the clouds; the four gentlemen, or noble plants (namely, the apricot, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo); and stories from the Buddhist sutras.

The oldest tanch'dong remnants seen on temple buildings are on Chosadang, the shrine that was built for the founder of the Korean Avatamska Sect in Pusoksa temple in the Yongp'ung area; Kungnakchon, or the Hall of Paradise, in Pongjongsa temple in the Andong area; and Taeungjon, or the Hall of the Principal Buddha, in Sudoksa temple in the Yesan area. The mural in Taeungjon hall is probably the oldest among them. Tanch'long decoration in wooden architecture was not applied partially but around the entire building.