Tattoos in China

[Guest Amber]

Hi,

I'm hopefully going to teach in China in a month, and I was wondering if there is a stigma attached to tattoos. I have the sense to keep them covered up at work, but is it going to be big deal when I wear shorts in public?

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi' date='

I'm hopefully going to teach in China in a month, and I was wondering if there is a stigma attached to tattoos. I have the sense to keep them covered up at work, but is it going to be big deal when I wear shorts in public?[/quote']

When I was in China, I don't recall seeing many people, if any, with tattoos. However, I didn't get the impression that it's taboo or anything. I'm assuming it would be OK as long as it's nothing offensive :-)

[ChouDoufu]

not so many tattoos. No huge stigma. the irony about tattoos is that they were invented in China way long ago. (or at least that's what I think I read in some expat mag some time ago. I wouldn't bet my life on the veracity of the fact though.)

[Guest Anonymous]

Not sure where tattoos are invented but Hanzi have been tattooed onto men's back since the ancient time. There is one particular story about a mother who tattooed these four characters on the back of his son (something about being loyal to the country).

[roddy]

Fake tattoos are currently very popular among young women here in Beijing (or maybe they always have been and were under layers of winter clothing before).

Roddy

[holyman]

tattoo was popular among southern chinese since 2500yrs ago. in the land of present fujian, jiangsu and zhejiang area. people tattoed themselves full bodied and go around naked. but now people will sometimes regarded u as underworld related if they see u with a tattoo, esp one with a ferocious looking design.

[skylee]

There is one particular story about a mother who tattooed these four characters on the back of his son (something about being loyal to the country).

That was Yue Fei, a patriotic general in Song Dynasty (his grave and temple beside Xihu (West Lake) in Hangzhou). The four characters are 精忠報國 (jing1 zhong1 bao4 guo2)

[Tsunku]

Big or flashy tattoos can make you seem like a organized crime type person.

Certain minorities are bigger into tattoos also. Dai guys sometimes get animal tattoos for instance. I met a Dai guy (who also happened to be into organized crime, heh) with a huge tiger on his back. Was pretty cool, but the guy was kinda scary.

Young guys will sometimes tattoo each other. My boyfriend gave his buddy a tattoo of the Buddha when they were in high school, apparently its not an uncommon thing to do.

[sudasana]

Young guys will sometimes tattoo each other. My boyfriend gave his buddy a tattoo of the Buddha when they were in high school, apparently its not an uncommon thing to do.

Do you mean they'll buy a tattoo for their friend, or do they actually ink the tattoo themselves?

[Tsunku]

Hehe, no, they actually ink the tattoo themselves, I guess using some sort of needle. I could never do it, but then, I'm not a young Chinese dude either.

[sudasana]

That's awesome. If it weren't for various diseases, I'd get a hand-pricked tattoo in a second. Alas. I wonder if there's an underground tradition of tattooing a friend or if this is a new phenomenon.

[Tsunku]

I think, for the Dai people at least (and that's what my boyfriend and his friend who he tattooed are) its something of a tradition, or at least a common practice. You'd only have a good friend do it to you, and its a really personal thing. Dais are extremely devout Buddhists as a people (Theraveda though, rather than Mahayana like most of China) and his friend (who is a monk) took his tattoo to show his devotion.

I think the idea is pretty cool too, but I'm a wimp when it comes to pain. I couldn't go through with a tattoo no matter how it was done I'm afraid. :?

[niubi]

for those of you who would like to read more on this topic, check out michael dutton's book streetlife china which has a section on this topic.

[Guest Damai]

After the controversy over beauty pagents a little more than a year ago, beauty pagents are now flourishing in China. About a year ago, a tattoo convention was organized in Xidan, but it got shut down. In the past few months, tattoo parlours have popped up everywhere. There is no particular stigma against tattoos. When I showed some people mine, all they asked was "did it hurt?" As for getting one here, you can actually get it done safely and professionally. There is a core of dedicated tattoo artists who take their craft seriously. They order equipment from the US and Taiwan. Just make sure you get a brand new needle if you get one. It also helps to know someone who else who has gotten a tattoo from the guy you're getting it from. But then, this is also advice you would give in the States.