Shanghai | Yao Ming | Hengshan Road | Houston

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Shanghai Son Rises

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming may lay his head in Houston, but his heart is still in Shanghai, his hometown.


A few years back, Houston Rockets center Yao Ming served as an image ambassador for his hometown of Shanghai by appearing in promotional films for the city. In these ads - titled "Countless Yao Ming, a Beautiful Shanghai" - the five-time All Star plays a policeman, a chef, a gardener, and other professions to honor "the spirit of Shanghai residents from all walks of life."

The films' director should have added the role of geography teacher to the shooting list, for 26-year-old Yao not only has put Houston on the map for every average Zhou in the Middle Kingdom, but he's also introduced Shanghai to the American masses.

It somehow seems right that the seven-foot-six Yao hails from Shanghai. This modern metropolis of 16 million is a city of superlatives, where first, faster, bigger, taller, and newer are always better. "It doesn't matter how much time you've spent in Shanghai," says Yao. "Every time you come here, the city will have a different feeling."

In Shanghai, the possibilities are limitless. Want to see a Wall Street district rising out of farm fields? Look across the Huangpu River toward the Pudong District, and you'll see the gleaming skyscrapers of Lujiazui. Desire a taste of Europe? The renovated architectural marvels along the Bund in Puxi demonstrate how Shanghai is, and always has been, China's most international city. Hoping to ride on a maglev train? You can catch one at the Pudong International Airport.
Here, it's even possible to discover an NBA top center. In the "if you build it, they will come" atmosphere of modern Shanghai, Yao's success story doesn't seem far-fetched at all. After all, basketball is what he was born to do. His father, six-foot-seven Yao Zhi Yuan, played for the Shanghai city team; his six-foot-three mother, Fang Feng Di, stood out on the Chinese national basketball team. At age nine, Yao entered the after-school basketball program at Xuhui District Sports School and began the lifelong training that would lead him to the Shanghai Sharks, the Chinese national team, the NBA, and superstardom.

Yao hasn't spent very much time in Shanghai the past five years. After the Rockets chose him as the number-one pick in the 2002 NBA draft, Yao and his parents moved to the suburbs of Houston. Even so, Yao looms large in Shanghai. His face appears on every McDonald's bag; on enormous billboards along Nanjing Road (Shanghai's equivalent of Fifth Avenue); and, on a nearly daily basis, in the Shanghai newspapers, which faithfully report on the Rockets. The city cheered when he was named the Western Conference Player of the Month last November. And in December, when Yao fractured his tibia, the collective intake of breath across Shanghai was sharp enough to cut glass. Although few of the city's 16 million know Yao personally, to all of them, he is Shanghai's favorite son.

And a dutiful one. Every summer, when the basketball season ends, Yao returns to Shanghai. When he came home after his rookie year, in May 2003, Shanghai was in the middle of the SARS crisis. Yao put together a telethon that raised $300,000 in relief. A year later, he accepted the position of global ambassador for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, which Shanghai will host this October. And then, of course, there's his role as Shanghai's image ambassador in the promo films for the city. We'll now add tour guide to Countless Yao Ming's list of professions as he takes us through Shanghai.

What do you want people to know about Shanghai before they get there? Shanghai is a very beautiful city. It is only 200 years old, which is new, compared with a city like Beijing, which is 2,000 years old.

How would you compare Shanghai with Houston? In Houston, people live outside of downtown and drive cars to get downtown. In Shanghai, people live downtown and ride their bikes to work and to school. You get in your 20 minutes of cardio workout.

When you're in Houston and get homesick for Shanghai, what do you think about? It's not a specific thing. I miss the whole atmosphere of Shanghai. In Shanghai, in the morning time, the people getting up and brushing teeth, washing their face, and going out to buy the street food for breakfast. You can smell the fried shao-bing you-tiao (bread sticks and bun). People greeting each other and neighbors asking, "Have you eaten breakfast?" The whole atmosphere is what I think about.

When you go back to Shanghai each summer, how long do you stay? Not too long, probably two to three weeks each time.

If you were to host friends or visitors for dinner, where would you take them for an upscale meal? I like to go to a restaurant called Mei Ling Ge (Merrylin). It is very nice. The way they cook the Shanghainese food is quite authentic.

What do you like to eat? Snake. Before SARS, the restaurant had a famous snake dish, but now it is very difficult to get.

Which Shanghainese dishes should visitors be sure to eat? Street food. The breakfast street food is the best. There are four traditional­ breakfast foods, called si da jin gang: shao-bing you-tiao, doug jiang (soybean drink), da bing (large sesame bread), and ci fan (soupy rice).

Some visitors may be reluctant to try street food. It's a cultural difference. If you force somebody to try it, maybe it will not be a nice experience for them. But if you have the chance, you should definitely try the street food.
 
Which hotels would you recommend? The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai and the Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai are more traditional hotels that are nice, and they're close to my house. The Peace Hotel has a long history. It is one of the oldest hotels in Shanghai and is very famous. Every year, I take my friends and family there to its restaurant.

Which attractions do you love? The Bund, for its international architecture. This is a place you must go. Because on the Puxi side of the Huangpu River, you can see the old buildings and you can feel how, in old Shanghai, all these businesses and international banks were coming to the city. On the Pudong side, you can see the new Shanghai, with all the new skyscrapers.
There's also the pedestrian area on the eastern section of Nanjing Road. This is the first shopping street in China. It's the most crowded and hustling bustling street you can see in Shanghai, especially the section that's close to the Bund.

Tell us about your old neighborhood. How has it changed? When I was small, I was living on Kangping Road, which is very close to Hengshan Road. It's near where the International Tennis Center is now, in the French Concession area. The difference between the two roads is that now Hengshan Road is very busy, but Kangping Road, on the contrary, is very quiet. When I was small, there were only two attractions on Hengshan Road: the Hengshan Cinema and, at the end of Hengshan Road, the Xujiahui shopping area. Xujiahui is also a place you should go.

Why? It is quite intensive shopping there. You can find a lot of things. Sometimes you can find some cheap things. But my problem is that lots of people know how much I earn, so I am not able to bargain with them.

Visitors can get a much better understanding of Shanghai by walking its streets. Would you recommend any particular neighborhoods for a nice stroll? Binjiang Da Dao (the Riverside Promenade in Pudong). You can see across the Huangpu River to the Bund. There's also Fuxing Park, which has lots of beautiful trees. And then, if you really want to take a walk, I would recommend Hengshan Road, especially in the evenings. There are phoenix trees, which are special trees, all along Hengshan Road. It will be a nice walk. There are a lot of outdoor bars. You can find a lot of buildings which are not Shanghainese or Chinese style.

Do you have a fondness for any specific building on Hengshan Road? My mother used to work at a place called Shanghai Sports Science Research Institute. This place is at the intersection of Hengshan and Wu­xing roads. This building, where my mom worked, is very attractive. When I was small, after school I always liked going to my mom's workplace to do my homework so I could spend lots of time in that building. It's still there.

What other fond childhood memories do you have? When I was young, I used to go to the Children's Palace; it's in a small alley on Kangping Road. When I was in school, I would go there for play, for fun. It's not far from where my mom worked. I don't know if it's still there. I would watch movies. They had lots of hobby classes for people to learn music instruments, and you could also play video games.

Shanghai has changed a lot since your childhood. Where would you send visitors to see the new Shanghai? For young people, I think they'd like to go to a place called Xintiandi, "New Heaven on Earth." The style of the buildings is Shikumen, the oldest traditional style of buildings in Shanghai. But inside the buildings, it's very fashionable, with restaurants, bars, and entertainment.

And to see the old Shanghai? If you really want to see the local Shanghai style, go to Yu Garden, which locals also call Cheng Huang Miao. In Cheng Huang Miao, the original old buildings are Chinese-style. Lots of people go there. You can see these little shops and vendors. It gives the feeling of the market and people getting together.

Tell us about your role as a global ambassador for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. What message do you want to share about Shanghai and the Special Olympics? It is a huge honor for me to be an ambassador. I believe Shanghai is well prepared to successfully host this event. I heard that during the Special Olympics, some of the athletes will stay in common people's homes. It is very good, because it can increase mutual understanding from each side: The athletes can have a good understanding of the culture of Shanghai, and the people of Shanghai can have a better understanding of the spirit of the Special Olympics.

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He Said ...
Yao Ming thinks these Shanghai spots are a slam dunk

Lodging

Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, very expensive, 011-86-21-6256-8888, www.fourseasons.com/shanghai

Peace Hotel, moderate, 011-86-21-6321-6888, www.shanghaipeacehotel.com

The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, moderate,
011-86-21-6279-8888, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Shanghai


Dining

Mei Ling Ge (Merrylin), Shanghainese, moderate, 011-86-21-6446-6666


Shopping

East Nanjing Road pedestrian street
Xujiahui shopping district


Attractions

Binjiang Da Dao (Riverside Promenade)
The Bund
Fuxing Park
Hengshan Road
Xintiandi, www.xintiandi.com
Yu Garden (Cheng Huang Miao)


We Said ...
We think these Shanghai spots are a slam dunk


Lodging

Anting Villa Hotel, inexpensive to moderate, 011-86-21-6433-1188. Mere blocks from Yao's childhood home, this boutique hotel is a great base for those planning to explore the French Concession area on foot. It has its shortcomings; the staff's English and the facilities are both limited. But it's a surprisingly quiet and inexpensive retreat, considering that it's only two blocks from the subway, Hengshan Road restaurant, and the bar district.

The Pudong Shangri-La, expensive to very expensive, 011-86-21-6882-8888, www.shangri-la.com. The "Shang" is an ideal sanctuary, with unparalleled Bund views as well as the Riverside Promenade out its back door; oversized, thoughtfully designed rooms; the sybaritic Chi Spa; and restaurants that reinvent the hotel buffet (Yi Café) and hip drinks (Jade on 36 Bar).


Dining

Bao Luo, inexpensive, 011-86-21-5403-7239. If street food scares you, go to Bao Luo. It's smoky and loud and packed with locals until two a.m. - but those are all reassuring signs that you've found the right spot for authentic Shanghai cuisine. Try the stewed pork knuckle and the sautéed eggplant served with pancakes.

Simply Thai, inexpensive, 011-86-21-6445-9551, www.simplylife-sh.com/simplythai. Yao's old neighborhood in the French Concession is now packed with restaurants. Simply Thai is among the district's, and the city's, best. Get a table on the patio, sip a glass of chilled Australian Riesling, and feast away on yellow curry, savory beef masaman, and fried prawns in spicy sauce.


Attractions

Jing An Park. You’ll miss China, too, once you’ve witnessed the wonderful morning festivities at Jing An Park. Locals assemble daily — and early — for group tai chi, ballroom dancing, and calisthenics. Keep an eye out for the people walking backward; they’re trying to reverse the clock.

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, 011-86-21-6372-2077. You’ll gain an instant appreciation for Shanghai’s obsession with grand scale when you visit this vast (6,400 square feet) model of Shanghai as city planners envision it in 2020.