Tang Guizhang and the Origin and Pedigree of Ci Theory in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China

As a famous master of ci studies in the 20th century, Tang Guizhang spoke highly of the characteristic contributions to the studies on ci poetry made by the scholars in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. He found that the foundation of ci theory of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China was established by Duan Mucai and Chen Tingzhuo, who had exerted far-reaching influence on later ci theorists. Tang also valued very highly the contributions made by Zhu Zumou, who inherited the legacy left by Duan Mucai and Wang Pengyun and made friends with Wen Tingshi, Zheng Wenzhuo and Kuang Zhouyi and pave the way for Wu Mei, Long Yusheng, Xia Chengtao and Chen Feishi. He held that we can draw a genealogical picture of the ci studies centering on Nanjing in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China through tracing the academic linkage of Zhu Zumou. Tang Guizhang’s theorization on the ci studies in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China shows that he managed to strike a balance between the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties as well as between emphasizing solemn and significant theme over linguistic art and emphasizing the creation of artistic images and pursuit of prosodic refinement in ci poetry. His achievement can be regarded as the summation of the ci studies in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China and is thus of great significance.