Nanjing has temples. Nanjing has palaces. Nanjing has pagodas. Nanjing has all the typical cultural landmarks common in every other city in China. Yet, this burgeoning metropolis in east China's Jiangsu province sets itself apart because of its role in China's modern history.
I visited Nanjing, which means "south capital," in early October during China's National Day celebration. Opting to skip Nanjing's standard tourist fare (once you've seen one temple, palace or pagoda, you've pretty much seen them all), I made my way to the Nanjing Massacre memorial.