All of the lanterns were made from oiled paper of varied patterns. People in the north preferred to fashion their lanterns after the lotus flower, which is believed to be the pedestal of Sakyamuni and, like holy water in the West, antagonistic to evil.
水燈的式樣各地不一，材料大部份用油紙糊成，據老一輩人的陳述：北方人習慣糊成蓮花樣，因為蓮花是佛祖的法座，人民相信它兼具避邪和慈渡的作用。