Welcome home, Yao Ming!

The smart power of Yao Ming's charisma will reach far beyond his retirement. That is why the NBA superstar's farewell to his professional basketball career has sparked such emotion in his hometown Shanghai, in China and even all over the world.

Yao made tremendous contributions to sport, culture and commerce during his NBA years. But as he said, this is not a full stop, only a comma in his life.

Like a giant bridge spanning the Pacific Ocean between China and America, Yao Ming will continue to promote understanding between a rejuvenating modern China and the rest of the world.