In general, the scope of the water ceremony in south China was grander than that in the north because there are more swamps and rivers to the south of the Yangtze River, and consequently more drowned ghosts.
過去，流放水燈的儀式，中國境內各地都有，但論規模，北方卻比不上南方。有人推測，這是因為江南多水澤，因水難而死的人，每年為數都不少，因此，中元節得招引的「好兄弟」就特別多，施放水燈的數目也就特別大了。