WANDER SHANGHAI

上海市徐汇区复兴西路147号

Ke Ling’s Former Residence

柯灵故居

Writing years in a Spanish-style apartment

Designed by Xi Fuquan and completed in 1933, the building was known as Villa Boissezon. Ke Ling and Chen Guorong moved into apartment 203 in 1959; it remained his home until 2000. Behind the villa-like exterior was a multi-unit residence.

Explore the historical timeline
Ke Ling’s former residence, photographed by He Ping; published in Wen Hui’s 2022 architectural study. Capture date unknown.

Capture date unknown

Ke Ling’s former residence, photographed by He Ping; published in Wen Hui’s 2022 architectural study. Capture date unknown.

He Ping / Wen Hui · Image source · Rights retained by original creators and source

At a glance

Construction / use dates
1933
Architect
Xi Fuquan (Xi Shiming)
Character
Spanish-style multi-unit residence
Original use
Apartments
Use and access
Memorial gallery within an inhabited building; follow current venue notices
Address
上海市徐汇区复兴西路147号West Fuxing Road

Architecture and use: sources[1] [2]

The people behind the address

A life in brief

Ke Ling (1909–2000), born Gao Jilin, spent much of his working life in Shanghai. In 1959 he moved with Chen Guorong to apartment 203 at number 147, the domestic and writing space of his later life.[1] [2]

Contributions and influence

As essayist, editor and dramatist, he connected literature, periodicals and the stage. Letters, manuscripts and everyday objects link that public cultural work to a household’s daily life.[1] [2]

The beginning

Why was it built here?

Designed by Xi Fuquan and completed in 1933, the building was known as Villa Boissezon. Ke Ling and Chen Guorong moved into apartment 203 in 1959; it remained his home until 2000. Behind the villa-like exterior was a multi-unit residence.[1] [2]

Ke Ling (1909–2000), born Gao Jilin, was an essayist, editor and dramatist. Manuscripts, letters and everyday objects connect his work with home life. A 2024 tourism report records the renewed exhibition’s reopening; other residents’ rooms remain separate.[1] [2]

Look up, then look closer

Details worth a closer look

Read from the street

Twisted columns, an arched gateway, barrel tiles and iron balconies give the Spanish-style details. Outdoor stairs and differently placed entrances reduce the apparent scale of a multi-unit building beside smaller villas.[1] [2]

A closer detail

Number 147 identifies this entrance. Nearby 133, 141 and 143 share related forms but not necessarily the same address, designer or images. Read the continuous frontage building by building.[1] [2]

Twisted columns and iron gate at number 147. Tourism report, 2024; capture date unknown.

Capture date unknown

Twisted columns and iron gate at number 147. Tourism report, 2024; capture date unknown.

Photographer not individually credited; see source · Image source · Rights retained by original creators and source

One building, changing roles

Read the building through time

Captions distinguish photographic dates from publication dates; periods without reliable images are covered in the text.

  1. 1933

    Xi Fuquan’s apartments completed

    The multi-unit Villa Boissezon used Spanish-style details to connect apartment living with the scale of garden villas.[1] [2]

  2. 1959–2000

    Ke Ling and Chen Guorong live here

    Apartment 203 witnessed Ke Ling’s later writing and family life.[1] [2]

  3. 2024

    Renewed exhibition welcomes visitors

    The tourism report records the renewed display; consult current notices for hours and events.[1] [2]

Today and visiting

Discover the building from the street

Memorial gallery within an inhabited building; follow current venue notices[1] [2]

Address
上海市徐汇区复兴西路147号
Approach
Entrances, events and access can change; follow current notices. Historic significance does not make residential stairs, gardens or living spaces public.
Find the address on a map ↗

Sources checked: 2026-10-26 · Entrances, events and access can change; follow current notices. Historic significance does not make residential stairs, gardens or living spaces public.

Shanghai and the world

Place the address in the city

Ke Ling’s home and Zhang Leping’s on Wuyuan Road belong to Hengfu’s cultural venues. Their domestic settings, beside still-inhabited apartments, connect creative work with ordinary city life.[1] [2]

Back to buildings by street

Text and image sources

This account is based on the sources below. Unverified details are identified as such. Where photographs are included, sources and licences are listed beneath each image.

  1. Building and local-history source ↗

    Used to check dates, uses and architectural descriptions; photo dates are separately identified.

  2. Further architectural research and biography ↗

    Used to check dates, uses and architectural descriptions; photo dates are separately identified.

Image handling and dating

Images come from the archives or image source pages listed beneath each photograph. We resize and compress them to WebP, preserving their original proportions without colourisation or added detail. Grain, blur and scanning marks in historical photographs are retained.

Images without a documented capture date are marked undated; publication is not photography. No invented before-and-after view substitutes for a verified historic photograph.