Last week it was announced that Yao will appear next month on the inaugural cover of the Mandarin version of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Checkout the preview below where Yao is looking quite dapper.

Here’s the press release:

WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE LAUNCHES MANDARIN EDITION IN CHINA
The world’s largest wine media company reveals plans to reach millions in Greater China and Hong Kong.

New York, NY (March 19, 2012) — Wine Enthusiast has announced its launch of an entirely Mandarin edition of the magazine. Through a strategic partnership with YesMyWine.com, Wine Enthusiast Magazine will reach millions of untapped VIP Chinese wine buyers and key trade decision makers. The release of their premiere May 2012 Mandarin digital issue of the magazine will include:

1. International content for Chinese wine consumers to enjoy about wines from the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, China, Australia and other parts of the wine world where Wine Enthusiast Magazine has journalists and editorial offices.

2. Tens of thousands of wine ratings and reviews based on the famous 100 point scale which will help provide the YMW customer direction for their wine purchasing needs.

3. Educational articles about wine to expand the knowledge of YMW’s customer base.

Wine Enthusiast Companies Chairman Adam M. Strum stated:

“We are very excited to bring Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s approachable, user-friendly editorial to these new wine consumers. With tasting offices in Rome, Bordeaux, New York, California and Seattle, we rate and review more than 20,000 wines per year on the famous 100 point scale. We intend to provide the new Chinese wine consumer with these reviews for purchasing direction not previously available to them at this magnitude. We will also be tasting wines from China starting this month in our New York offices. Eventually we hope to reach more than five million wine consumers and key wine trade in China.”

For the first time in a very long time, Yao, his wife Ye Li, and his daughter Amy were photographed together in Houston at Saturday night’s Rockets-Mavericks game.

Click here for more photos of Yao and his family at the game.

Big Yao surprised everyone by flying to Houston this week and was courtside at the Rockets-Lakers game. Below he hugs former teammate Metta World Peace, the basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest.

Click here for more photos of Yao at the game.

Click here for a video interview that Yao gave to the press before the game. As always, he was hilarious.

Fortunately for Rockets fans, the team made a great fourth quarter comeback to beat the Lakers.

On Saturday in Shanghai, Yao did something very rare, even for him. He participated in a discussion with some pretty interesting guys on stage in front of 12,000 people at the Shanghai Expo Mercedes Benz Cultural Centre, part of the 40th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations.

World class Japanese architect Tadao Ando, a recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize (the Nobel Prize equivalent in the field of architecture) gave a talk to the audience, then was joined by Yao and Wang Shi, the multi-billionaire and founder and chairman of Vanke, China’s biggest real-estate developer.

The theme of Tadao Ando’s talk was about Asian Era, where he discussed the arrival of the Asian era in architecture and his philosophy in architecture. He also talked about the importance of quality, conservation of energy and resources, and environmental protection in architecture.

Right after Ando’s speech, there was a session where Yao Ming and Wang Shi were invited to join him in a casual exchange about pursuit of personal dreams and excellence. Yao talked about how he pursued and realized his personal dream, working from a nobody in the CBA to a basketball star in NBA.

Click here for more information and photos from the event (props to Raymond for posting them).

Yao Ming, his wife Ye Li, and the Princess of Monaco visited a special needs school in Shanghai on Monday. Both the Princess and Yao Ming are global ambassadors of the Special Olympics.

The Princess, Charlene Wittstock, married Prince Albert of Monaco last July. She was formerly a South African Olympic swimmer.

Click here for more photos and an article on Yao and the Princess’ visit to the school.

Raymond was able to find some photos of Yao Ming at a golf driving range Friday morning in Shanghai. Check out his cool customized TaylorMade golf bag, too!