The nature of intercultural collaboration is shaped by many factors, including the degree of similarity in cultural beliefs, the extent of entangled histories, and the proximity of geographical locations. This essay argues that, through a familiar yet refreshingly new realm of East Asian sonic imagination, Chou Wen-chung and Unsuk Chin each break new ground in their respective oeuvres. Chou articulated his Chinese literati aesthetic ideals through collaboration with Korean gayageum player Yi Jiyoung in Eternal Pine, while Chin expressed her sonic cultural memory of Korea through collaboration with Chinese sheng player Wu Wei in Šu. Both collaborations evoke East Asia’s shared classical past while incorporating musical idioms firmly rooted in the late twentieth century. Through a deeper examination of these relationships, this essay reveals the unique power of inter–East Asian collaboration.