Abstract: The two Ci-poetry schools of Zhexi and Changzhou constructed their orthodox order by focusing on Ci-poets in the Song Dynasty, who became canonized in the Ci-poetry circle of the Qing Dynasty and underpinned the claim of orthodoxies and theories of their Qing descendants. The rank of these model Ci-poets would vary with the adjustment of the orthodox order during school competition and theoretical debates, which demonstrated how Ci-poem's popularity among schools had tremendous impact on their canonization. In order to display the continuity and vitality of their own Ci-poetry schools, school successors supported their own outstanding Ci-poets to carry on the orthodox order of Ci-poetry in the Song Dynasty or to reconstruct the orthodox order in their own dynasty. Such was an attempt to canonize the Ci-poetry in the Qing Dynasty. Thus, the construction of orthodox order and the canonization of model Ci-poets were simultaneous and interlinked. By constructing the orthodox order with model Ci-poets of past dynasties, from them scholars in the Qing Dynasty not only inherited the artistic traditions of Ci-poetry, but also discovered the ingenious and innovative aspects of contemporary Ci-poetry. These model Ci-poets were praised and used as examples for Ci-poetry learners, effectively contributing to the development of Ci-poetry art and its flourishing in the Qing Dynasty.

Key words: The construction of orthodox order, model Ci-poets, canonization, Ci-poetry circle of Qing Dynasty