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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.