Their habit of carrying candlelit lanterns to light the way eventually evolved into the current custom of carrying lanterns on the night of the Lantern Festival. Other writings record how in the Buddhist areas west of Tunhuang, simple lanterns were used in spreading the Buddhist doctrine.
但根據「僧史略」及「涅盤經」中的描述，上元燃燈原為西域地帶象徵佛法大明的習俗，隨佛教傳入中土後，與漢人的年節相連，才形成喜氣洋洋、熱鬧十足的燈節。