18 LIFE CHINA DAILY WEDNESDAY MARCH 28, 2007 Modern way of inking Tattoos are as Chinese as dragons, according to a new breed of skin-ink masters who are making their mark in this ancient tradition. Erik Nilsson reports.

he art of tattooing has a long history in the Middle King- dom, but now Chinese are fi nding out what happens when modern thinking meetsT traditional inking. The art form went dormant in the early 1900s, when mobsters claimed the markings as their signature, mak- ing the tattoo taboo. However, today, increased exposure to the West is re- awakening an authentically Chinese tradition, and local tattoo artists are making their mark on this rediscov- ered art form. “Tattooing is as Chinese as the Chi- nese dragon,” said tattoo artist Wang Hao, who runs Punx Tattoo Studio in the capital’s Haidian District. Wang cited ancient stories such as the classic Outlaws of the Marsh, which tells the tale of 180 tattooed generals who considered themselves heroic be- cause they feasted on meat and swilled wine all day. He was also quick to men- tion legendary Song Dynasty general Tattoo artist Wang Hao, at his Punx Tattoo Studio in Yue Fei, whose mother prophetically the capital’s Haidian District, is among a new breed tattooed Jin Zhong Bao Guo (be loyal to of innovative artists fusing Chinese and Western de- the nation) on his back. signs. Erik Nilsson “Tattoos are regaining popularity in China now, because Chinese people Dulong ethnic minority women who convergence is are gradually changing their mindset, have tattooed faces. While there are growing. “Tattoo- and many more people are embrac- more than 4,000 Dulong people left ing in China will ing Western culture,” Wang said. in Yunnan, the age-old tradition is become more internationalized and Above: A tattoo “Even elderly people are starting to dying out, because many Dulong more diverse, while at the same time, artist gives change their thoughts and accept women refuse to undergo the pain- it will become more localized, featur- an on-site new things.” ful process. ing more traditional Chinese subject demonstration The 23-year-old Beijinger and CATA organized its fi rst conven- matter, such as dragons and Chinese to a woman self-proclaimed “punk” stands tion in 2002 to provide a platform characters,” Wang Kisen said. during a beauty out in most crowds. His hair for China’s tattoo artists to exchange and cosmetic is shorn into a barbed ideas among themselves and foreign ne of the most common mani- expo in Jinan, Mohawk, and the artists. “The fi rst convention attracted festations of this paradoxical of Shandong piercing dozens of artists; the second attracted Oset of trends is that most Chi- Province. holes in his hundreds, and the third attracted nese tattoos feature Chinese subject Guo Guangyao earlobes thousands,” Wang Kisen said. matter portrayed using Western Left: A man have been stretched by gauged- New York-based tattoo legend Paul artistic techniques, he said. It is par- goes for a but- plugs. Several hoops run up the Booth attended the 2004 convention, ticularly common, for example, for terfl y tattoo in auricles of his ears, and a lip ring and last year, the association sent a Chinese- and Western-style ghosts Nanjing, Jiangsu adorns his labrum. delegation of Chinese artists to the to be blended into a single tattoo. Province. During gigs with his punk band Thailand International Tattoo Art- Xing said such fusions enhance Yang Xi Jokingly Tasty, he thrashes around ists Convention. China’s tattooing culture and will the stage clad in plaid bondage pants But as today’s Chinese tattoo culture continue to increase the variety of interspersed with zippers and clasps, matures, local artists say it has been images available to those seeking a leather bomber jacket and a black a long hard road to get this far. While tattoos in China. “We are also open tee bearing the emblem of his shop: Wang Kisen said that “tattooing began to some Western ideas while still a screaming skull with a red Mohawk to fl ourish during the ’90s, when people keeping traditional Chinese ideas, and a tattoo needle for a tongue. were looking to grasp individuality”, so that we can see beyond the future “I don’t care what mainstream soci- Dong said that times were especially and won’t be a culture with a limited ety thinks of me,” Wang said. “Young tough when he fi rst opened his shop in outlook,” he said. people can accept this kind of culture, 1994. “When I fi rst opened the shop, I And when foreigners get tattoos in particularly rockers, artists and those had to explain to every visitor what a China, the artists said they are more who pursue fashion.” tattoo was,” he said. likely to get inked with traditional He now inks one customer per day, Chinese imagery. “They might have owever, as tattoo artist Dong serves an even mix of Chinese and similar depictions at home, but they Dong, who runs Mummy foreigners, and is familiar with each want authentic Chinese tattoos. It’s a HTattoo Studio in Beijing’s San- culture’s preferences. symbol of where they’ve been,” Wang litun bar district, points out, tattoos Artists such as Dong, Wang Hao and Kisen said. on the tail end of a three-day Spring intricate as tattoos done today,” are not only for China’s rebels and 34-year-old Xing Haisong, who runs “Getting a tattoo here is a process of Festival drinking binge. “I was watch- Zheng said. “I wanted an image of fashionistas. John Long Tattoo studio in Shanghai, getting to know another culture. When ing a TV documentary about Gandhi Gandhi with his eyes open, but I “Seven out of 10 people get a tat- agreed that Chinese younger than 30 a Westerner gets a tattoo in China, they with some friends, and I suddenly got ended up with one of Gandhi with too because they think it’s ‘cool’, but are more likely to get tattoos featuring learn about the specifi c and unique the idea to get a Gandhi tattoo on my his eyes shut.” that’s changing,” Dong said. “More traditional Chinese images. way a Chinese tattoo artist draws a shoulder — probably because I was Zheng hid the tattoo from his people are starting to think of it as a And they are particularly interested dragon, which is different from the drunk,” Zheng said. parents for four years, which he said cultural expression.” in “auspicious” images, such as Chi- way Westerners draw versions of the But while Zheng said that nearly was easy to do, because summer in China Association of Tattoo Artists nese ghosts, dragons and phoenixes. Chinese dragon,” he added. every Chinese city with a population Lanzhou is relatively cool and he had (CATA) president Wang Kisen said However, members of the younger gen- Tattoo artists agree that the qual- of more than 1 million has a tattoo his own bedroom. When they fi nally tattoo artists are now promoting an eration are more likely to choose ity and variety of tattoos in China parlor today, these shops weren’t so found out, “They weren’t too happy understanding of the art form as Western images, such as will improve as the art form further easy to come by in 1994. with me”, he said. something with meaning. cartoons and skulls. develops. “There were no tattoo parlors in Today, he gets mixed reactions from He said this year’s China Inter- But because the rekin- But as 30-year-old folk rocker Lanzhou back then, so I went to a strangers who see his tattoo. national Tattoo Artists Convention dling of China’s tattoo Zheng Wei, of Lanzhou, Gansu beauty parlor and had it done with “Most people don’t react much (CITAC), to be held in Beijing from culture began with a Province, said, standards have those needles beauticians use on when they see it, but when I go August 17 to 19, will highlight the Western spark, and already increased women’s eyebrows,” he said. swimming, many middle-aged peo- cultural component of the art. globalization con- dramatically The end product, he said, is a tes- ple ask me about it. If I feel serious, I After the convention, CATA mem- tinuously increases since he got his timony to the progress that has been will explain that it’s Gandhi and tell bers plan to travel to the Dulong Chinese people’s ex- tattoo in 1994. made in the art form since. them why I got it. If not, I’ll tell them River, in Yunnan Province, to fi lm a posure to the outside Zheng decid- “My tattoo is very basic, because that it’s what I think I will look like documentary about the 50 remaining world, the degree of ed to get inked it’s not as professionally made and when I’m 50,” Zheng said. WHO’SIN Night of reggae around the world, Ziggy showed his reggae logged thousands of hours of stage and studio time on fi rst TV series. She power even in the more limited space of the the 1975 Gibson Les Paul. The 45-year-old musician has will star in a sex crime Grammy Award-winning Beijing venue. Reggae fans had the opportunity used the guitar throughout his years with U2. “I wanted drama Police Line as a artist Ziggy Marley ignited the to get up close and personal with the interna- to give something really signifi cant that would really policewoman who had reggae fl ame at Beijing’s Star tional star. mean a lot for me to give. It deserved something that I been sexually offended Live House on Monday night. Hundreds of fans, mostly expats in Beijing, would miss,” The Edge said in France. by her stepfather Reggae’s favorite son began his packed the hall and swayed The Edge’s guitar was expected to fetch when she was a child. performance with the classic, to Ziggy’s rhythm. Ziggy will between $60,000 to $80,000, according to the The TV series will be Shalom Salaam. wrap up his fi rst China tour auction website. launched in June. Ziggy presented pieces from at the Shanghai Yun Feng The Edge, whose real name is David Evans, It is also reported his new 2007 Grammy-win- Theater tonight. fi rst discovered the area’s rich musical culture that Harisu, aged 32, ning album Love Is My Religion as a young member of U2. He was intoxicated will get married to her in addition to songs from his by the city’s jazz funerals, where scores of boyfriend who is fi ve years younger than her on May 19. previous solo album Dragonfl y, U2 donation musicians parade down the street in colorful Harisu has become a very famous singer and com- hits from his family band The with an Edge costumes covered with fl owers and feathers. mercial star in South Korea since she was successfully Melody Makers, and of course trans-gendered in 1998. classics by his legendary father, The Edge is donating his Bob Marley. favorite instrument to an Harisu to star in China Daily-Agencies Dressed in a white shirt and jeans, he commanded auction benefi ting Music Rising, a TV series the stage like a gospel preacher with his deep voice. He charity the U2 guitarist co-founded To comment or alert us to a story, was backed by an adequate band that included the horn to replace musical equipment lost or South Korea’s most famous trans-gendered e-mail [email protected] and vocal support. Despite being used to larger venues destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. He’s celebrity Harisu will play a policewoman in her