Santanghu Coalfield is the largest integrated coalfield exploration area in China. The major coal seams developing in Xishanyao Formation (Middle Jurassic) are the high-quality steam coals characterized by large thickness, favorable horizontal continuity and high coal quality. In this paper, twenty-two samples were collected from the three typical boreholes in Hanshuiquan district, representing the 11 coal seam sequences (7#, 8#, 9#, 13#, 14#, 15#, 17#, 18#, 19#, 20#, 22#), respectively. The petrographic characteristics of the coal-bearing sequence in Xishanyao Formation were firstly summarized systematicly, and then the coal-forming swamp characteristics and succession mechanism of the coal seam in Xishanyao Formation were defined by analyzing the samples. The maceral composition, structure, geochemical and geophysical characteristics of coal are included in original genetic criteria of coal-forming swamp analysis. And the composition of coal petrography, maceral and microlithotype are the most frequently used parameters. Coal is composed of microscopic constituents and inorganic substances. The Xishanyao Formation maceral mainly consists of vitrinite (65.74%–97.01%), inertinite (1.93%–34%), and the exinite shows the mode of regular change. The coal-forming swamp in Xishanyao Formation possesses the characteristics of mainly marsh, wet forest swamp facies, and shallow water covered forest swamp facies, and a few of coal seams distribute in the deep water covered forest swamp facies. In addition, the sporopollens in Xishanyao Formation are mainly Pinaceae evergreen broad leaf and needle-leaved plants, Osmundaceae, Cyatheaceae and Lygodiaceae, indicating that the warm and humid tropic-subtropical climate conductive to the persistent growth of coal-forming plants in the Middle Jurassic. The coal-forming swamp shows the characteristics of vertically upward fluctuation through the periodic transition. It indicates a shallow-deep-shallow change process of the water covered depth in the swamp. This is the principal factor for the formation of the high-quality and continuous coal seam in Hanshuiquan district, Santanghu Coalfield.