Just as tourists to Italy may choose Rome or Florence as their first-time destination, many pick Beijing or Shanghai for their inaugural visit to China. But my first trip to the People’s Republic of China led me to discover Nanjing.

Known historically as the “southern capital” of China, Nanjing is a city of 8 million people and more than 50 universities. With the longest city wall in the world, built during the Ming Dynasty in the 1300s, Nanjing’s beauty is a mix of silver skyscrapers, pretty pagodas, architecturally impressive tombs, tree-lined streets, lakes, rivers and mountains.

The 89-story Zifeng Tower, the tallest in the city, was the setting for the Sino-American Media Exchange I was invited to attend by Emory University.