The dragon canoe of the Miao nationality in Guizhou has a long history, and its expression of race culture has listed in the list of non-material cultural heritage protection because it is ancient and unique. From the perspective of folklore and by the research method of folklore, this paper provides a description of an on the spot investigation of the cultural space and ethnic features of the dragon canoe. The author observes various ritual scenes and records and arranges systematically its history and folklore phenomena related to the culture. This paper shows the internal relations between dragon canoe and nature, religious beliefs and totem worship for the purpose of acknowledging the cultural trait and value from a new perspective. Research findings reveal that Qingshui River is not only the place for the natives of the Miao nationality to inhabit, but also the cultural space where they hold dragon canoe race ritual. Every year, the dragon canoe race, held at certain time and place, is to worship the god and their ancestors for the purpose of obtaining a good harvest and getting rid of disasters in the coming year. Original religious faith of the Miao nationality originates from the local traditional lifestyle and their totem worship towards "Loong". The primitive dragon canoe represents two different culture types both tangible and intangible. Those tangible expressions, such as dragon canoe, gong and drum and clothes, belong to the "boundary" of culture, while those intangible expressions, such as different kinds of sacrifice activities and body technique which reflect people's wills, are the core of culture. The paper concludes that the formation of cultural circle of dragon canoe fully reflects the Miao people's life notions that man is an integral part of nature. Water, for local people, is the source of life. Therefore, before the coming of rainy season every year, native people's holding dragon canoe race and other fetes originate their belief that all things have spirit and also express their pray for a good life without mishap. So the Miao people's original dragon canoe culture is religious belief, and the participation of various rituals or races shows the native Miao people's everlasting humanistic spirit.