Chen Weisong (1625–1682), a ci 詞 writer of the seventeenth century, was a major figure responsible for the promotion of ci poetry in the Qing dynasty (1639–1911). He was highly regarded by his contemporaries and, with the rise of the Changzhou school of ci poetics during Jiaqing (1796–1820) and Daoguang (1821–1850) reign periods, his status became even more prominent in the movement. There has been, however, a serious lack of in-depth study of his influence especially during Yongzheng (1722–1735) and Qianlong (1736–1796) periods. This paper seeks to fill this gap by carefully looking at how Chen was received during this time. With particular reference to the charismatic image he projected, the specific writing style and skills for which he was praised, the notion of ci and its history that he advocated, and the great efforts he devoted to compiling ci-anthologies, the study examines the various literary roles associated with Chen. It highlights the increasing importance he assumed in the promotion of poetics, and concludes that it was during the eighteenth century that Chen eventually acquired the status of a canonical master in Qing literature.