We were commissioned to design the editorial layout and binding for Echoes of the Mountains: Taiwanese Xiangbao Song Score Collection, published by the National Center for Traditional Arts. Beyond creating a visually fitting aesthetic for the score, the true focus of this project was an act of "cultural translation."

As a precious Taiwanese folk tradition, Xiangbao (call-and-response singing) has historically been kept alive solely by word of mouth. Our objective was to crystallize this intangible folk wisdom into a concrete, standardized musical score. This publication is designed to be a vital tool for education and cultural promotion, enabling schools, communities, and contemporary musicians to easily access and understand its rhythms and structures. We hope this cultural asset will no longer be confined to field recordings and historical memory, but will truly cross cultural boundaries to resonate on international stages and in daily life.

<sub>我們受繳為由國立傳統藝術中心出版的《歌語山間：臺灣相褒歌樂譜集》進行的裝幀設計，除了為本樂譜呈現合適的美術設計外，本案更著重的其實是「文化翻譯」。

相褒歌作為臺灣珍貴的民間口傳藝術，長久以來依賴先民口耳相傳。我們的目標是將這份無形的民間智慧，轉化為具體且標準化的樂譜載體。這本樂譜集旨在成為教學與推廣的關鍵工具，讓學校、社區與當代音樂創作者能輕易接觸並理解其格律。我們期望這份文化資產不再僅存於田野記憶，而是能真正走向國際、跨越文化，在現代的舞台與日常生活中持續發聲。</sub>

Our design philosophy centers on the symbiotic relationship between Taiwan’s natural topography and its cultural voice. We sought to find a visual balance between the organic, untamed vitality of the oral tradition and the strict, rational structure of standard Western musical notation. To achieve this, we seamlessly integrated the iconic terrain of Taiwan’s tea mountains into the geometric lines of a five-line musical staff.

The Staff as Soil: The musical staff transforms into the nurturing soil of culture, symbolizing the "grounding" of an oral history. It translates local heritage into a universal musical language, paving the way for cross-cultural exchange.

The Rising Melody: The tea mountains rise from the gaps within the staff. The undulating peaks and ridges resemble notes leaping across the score and a crescendoing rhythm.

<sub>我們的設計理念聚焦於臺灣自然地景與人文聲音的共生關係。我們試圖在相褒歌那種有機、充滿生命力的口傳特質，與西方五線譜嚴謹、理性的結構之間，尋找視覺平衡。我們將臺灣具代表性的茶山地景，巧妙地融入標準五線譜的幾何線條之中。

以譜為土： 五線譜化作孕育文化的土壤，象徵口傳歷史「落地」，轉化為世界通用的音樂語言，為跨文化交流鋪平道路。

拔地而起的旋律： 茶山從五線譜的間隙中拔地而起，山巒的起伏與稜線，宛如樂譜上跳躍的音符與漸強的節奏。</sub>





Through editorial design imbued with contemporary aesthetics and profound cultural heritage, we transformed an intangible cultural asset into an accessible modern medium. Echoes of the Mountains ensures that the transmission of Xiangbao songs is no longer confined to the past, but becomes a living culture that continuously flows, evolves, and can be sung anew by the world.

_{透過具備當代美學與文化底蘊的裝幀設計，我們將無形的文化資產轉化為易於親近的現代媒介。《歌語山間》確保了相褒歌的傳承不再侷限於過去，而是成為一種持續流動、演進，並能被世界重新傳唱的活態文化。}