Most Qiang are believers of Animism, except for those who live near Tibetan communities and are followers of Lamaism. The Qiangs worshipped white stone placed on roofs as the "Heavenly God."

For Centuries past the Qiang practiced a bizarre worship using white stones. still today in rural areas you can see small piles of white stones piled up on the corners of Qiang rooftops, or at the entrance way to protect a village. Qiang temples in the past contained only white stone as the center-piece of worship. Not possessing any of the multiplicity of idols that other groups in the area have, the Qiang believed that the white stone represented the Supreme Being, leading some writers t speculate wildly that the Qiang may have been one of the "lost tribes of Israel," a claim that is highly unlikely, to say the least.

Qiang legend tells of two tribes centuries ago who fought each other. One tribe ambushed the other, who being caught unprepared, picked up sticks and white stones to fight with. Despite their arked disadvantage they anhialated their enemies, and won the right to live in the fertile valley that remains their home t this cay. From stories like this white stones took on a powerful, mystical value.