Stories Hidden in Chinese Characters
Honors: Yellow Pencil Award in the British D&AD, 2021
ADC 100th Silver Cube Award, 2021
Award of “The Beauty of Books in China”, 2020
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If only I had encountered this book earlier, I would have surely grasped Chinese characters thoroughly!
“This Character, Originally Meant This” is a reference book that deciphers Chinese characters 📖. Author Xu Hui embarks from the visual forms of Chinese characters, conducting exploratory research into the origins and meanings of these characters. In this book, you can witness how these characters were born and the meanings they represented thousands of years ago, along with the ancient life and ceremonial norms they reflect.
In contrast to the often criticized design of textbooks and popular science books in the domestic market, this book’s design style is practically unparalleled. As a result, it has received numerous awards both domestically and internationally 🏆. These include “the Most Beautiful Book” of 2020, the D&AD 2021 Award in the UK, and the New York ADC 2021 Award.
🟠 The overall design of the book unfolds layer by layer, focusing on the revelation of the original meanings of characters. The proportions of the entire book evoke the origins of traditional Chinese book formats. The cover, which initially seems to imitate a modern luggage tag, reveals golden characters when opened, exuding a classical charm that feels simultaneously unfamiliar and familiar.
⚖️ The inner pages are folded using 100 sheets of rice paper, with each page featuring a die-cut window that serves as both a bookmark and a table of contents. The die-cut standard font windows on the folded edges can be opened for interactive exploration.