China Ink Tattoo at San Diego Body Art Convention
On Sunday I visited the Tattoo Convention in San Diego, California when I made an interesting discovery. All of the tattoo artists came from the U.S. – except for one. One tattoo booth was from China/Taiwan: China Ink. With tattoo parlors in Shanghai and Taipei, China Ink came overseas all the way to San Diego to participate in this year’s tattoo convention.
This made me think. Usually you would expect other nationalities like British, French or Australian having a booth at a tattoo convention. But China? This really shows how important the role of tattooing has become in China.
The Chinese tattoo industry has become more significant over the past years. Especially in large cities like Beijing and Shanghai, there are a lot of top-knotch tattoo parlors. Just about a decade ago, tattoo shops were rare in China. “While the American tattoo culture has evolved over the last 150 years, from the sailors and soldiers who marked their skin as a rite of passage to the inked bikers, rockers and celebrities of today, China’s modern relationship to the tattoo is relatively new, beginning with the country’s head-long embrace of the West.” (NY Times)
Although every Chinese child is taught the legend of Yue Fei, a 12th-century general whose mother tattooed “serve the country with utmost loyalty” on his back, tattoos were considered disreputable in China for centuries. Imperial courts tattooed criminals’ faces before sending them into exile. By the 1949 revolution, the tattoo was the favored mark of crime syndicates and subsequently condemned by the Communist Party. Today, tattoos remain taboo for many of China’s elder generation, which sneers at the sight of a sun or lotus inked on the back of a trendy neighbor. (NY Times)
During the past 10 years, thousands of tattoo parlors popped out of nowhere in Beijing, Shanghai and now also other cities. In any major city, you can find a decent tattoo shop.
China’s First Lady of Tattoo
卓丹婷 (Zhuo Danting) is called China’s First Lady of Tattoo. She is one of the most popular figures in the Chinese tattoo scene. She is a tattoo artist herself and also a piece of art in person. Zhuo is 28 years old and a native of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. She has green hair and her skull, neck, chest, arms and hands are all covered with black tats. She got her experience while working closely with tattoo artists in Beijing and Guangzhou.
Zhuo was even hired by Adidas to star in one of their “Originals” commercials/advertisement. Now, she is residing in Shanghai working at Shanghai Tattoo. She loves to do large Asian and realistic Western & portrait tattoos.
For the artist, the tattoo is not only a job, but also a responsibility. My tattoos are my lifelong friends. I wouldn’t know what to do without tattoos.— Zhuo Danting (卓丹婷), Shanghai tattoo artist
However, one problem remains
“China needs regulations to supervise and ensure sanitaryworking conditions in tattoo parlors, experts said, as the tattoo industry is flourishingwhile going ignored and unregulated by the government.” (PDO) Inspectors found hygiene and sanitary problems in a series of tattoo parlors, where scissors, forceps and bottles were found in a mess. The main problem is the lack of knowing about health risks involved. However, I am sure there will soon be some new laws and regulations in this rapidly growing industry.
Linda Living in China 
My husband got a tattoo not in China but in Taiwan when it was taboo to get one. Only gangstas had tattoos during that time. Now women are doing tramp stamps, butterflies on ankles, and such. So different now. My husband was going to do more but now he thinks he’s too old. XD
Some of the tattoos Westerners has when it comes to Chinese Characters are quite funny. If you refuse to get it tattooed in your mother tongue, another language wont make it more awesome? For an example, love. “Why don’t you tattoo “love” then?” Foreigner, “Why? In Chinese character is more cool looking. Besides, it’s boring in my language.” Me, “The Chinese character in love is considered silly to my husband. If it doesn’t mean anything to you in your mother tongue, it wont be more meaningful in another.” I just find it silly. I find it a tad pretentious.
Western woman, “This character speaks to me. It means courage.”
My husband, “Are you sure?”
Poor woman.