The design of wadangs varies greatly. In the ancient times, people began to carve a few characters or paintings on wadangs, in order to pray for fortunes and repel demons.

More than half of Guan's collections are Yan wadangs made during the Warring States Period in the State of Yan, presently the areas of Beijing and Hebei Province (both in North China). The weather-beaten, heavy khaki tiles, seemingly of no particularity, are well preserved and seamlessly integrate with each other when layered together. The designs on them, with little erosion, are still legible after about three thousand years. A clear and melodious sound echoes when the wadangs are tapped int the middle, like a remote sound rising and falling from far away.

The pieces collected by Guan are incredibly opulent scenes of calligraphy , monsters, animals, and so on. The orderly arranged winding, ropelike characters stand out in relief and adapt themselves to fit within the confines of circular or semi-circular wadang forms. The various designs each bear a meaningful story of political, cultural and religious essence, with the chief purpose of producing an auspicious aura.

But most Yan wadangs in his collection involve designs of monsters with delicate differences in facial features, such as single or double eyelids, linear or diamond eyebrows, three-branched tongues, and noses with five nostrils. Sometimes the necks or tails of the two animals are entwined, which implicates mating and sex. The Ancients believed that wadangs carrying such designs helped to ward off evil spirits.

Some special wadangs were used on the eaves to fix other pieces of tiles and to prevent rain from falling into the house. Normally, these special wadangs were each as large as a bowl.

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