The Chinese word for tattoo is ci shen gold wen shen, which literally means “to pierce/shape the body”. The art itself has been known in China since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), but has been considered “barbaric” over the centuries. In fact, it is unfair to attribute ci shen to the Chinese people, as tattoos were reserved for minorities (the ruling Han dynasty considered itself the only “real” Chinese people) and criminals. That is the reason why Chinese tattoo patterns have been more popular in Europe and the US than in China itself and that is also the reason why tattoos in China are still seen through a veil. of prejudice.
There are many reasons for the negative approach to tattoo art. During the time of Confucius, people believed that the body had to remain “pure.” Tattoos were seen as a type of body modification and therefore not wanted.
According to tattoo expert Lars Krutak:
“With the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the communist government implemented policies of pochu mixin (“eradicating superstitions”) and yifengyisu (“changing prevailing customs and transforming social traditions”). These laws were directed at fifty and six ethnic people from China minority groups and ultimately led to the demise of tattooing among those peoples who practiced the indelible art, including the Li of Hainan Island and the Dulong of Yunnan.”
The tattooing tradition of aboriginal and “minority” groups in China has been fading for years, due to cultural and religious changes that have been imposed on these ethnic groups. In most cases, whatever remains of the original symbolism is kept with the elderly members of the tribe, but there are cases where a young person gets a traditional tattoo, in order to preserve the old tradition. The Paiwan people are an exception, since tattoos among this ethnic group are a sign of nobility.
Legends and Origins
Many classical Chinese novels mention tattooed characters. The most famous legend tells of the Chinese general Yueh Fei, who served the Southern Song dynasty. The general was betrayed by the field marshal during a battle against a northern enemy and returned home in protest. There he puts the anger of his parents. He had to serve his country, that was his duty, said his mother. So, she went to get her sewing needle and tattooed four Chinese characters on her back: “jin zhong bao guo”. Literally translated, this means: “Serve his country with the utmost loyalty.”
Similar to Japanese Yakuza (gold Gokud?, members of organized crime circles in Japan), the Chinese also used tattoos to mark their criminals. According to the han shu (“Treatise on Punishment”) (7th century AD), there were about five hundred crimes punishable by tattooing, including adultery and theft. The criminals had tattoos on their faces, which showed their shame. After the tattoos ended, they were exiled. This punishment was called ci-pei (Exile of the tattoo).
However, many minority groups in China have a different opinion. Tea Dulong and dai tribes and li The people of Hainan Island are known for their flashy tattoos. The same applies to the paiwan Taiwan tribe. They know no marks of punishment and see the tattoo as an act of art and the patterns as symbols of passage.
Dulong (Drang) Tattoos
Tea Dulong gold Drange tribe lives along the Dulong River. They have been present in China since the rule of the Ming dynasty (about 350 years ago). Neighboring clans used to take Dulong women as slaves, which sparked the tattooing tradition. That is, they began to tattoo their faces. The goal was to make them less attractive, which would eventually save them from being raped. Of course, in modern times, the Dulong tribes are devoid of their enemies, but the tradition still lives on.
All Dulong girls get tattooed at twelve or thirteen years old. In contemporary times, this act is seen as a sign of maturity. Tea Dulong it is one of the few tribes that keep their tradition alive in contemporary times.
The tattoo is applied via a thorn, between the eyebrows and around the mouth (forming a diamond), and many dots are applied on the cheek.
tattoos
Tea dai tribe lives along the border with Burma in the Chinese province of Yunnan. Both dai men and dai women practice tattooing. The tradition is ancient and has its roots in the belief that tattoos are a sign of strength (for men) and maturity (for women). dai men have tattoos that emphasize their muscles, usually a dragon, an elephant or a tiger, ancient oriental symbols of strength. dai women tattoo the back of their hands and arms and a dot between their eyebrows. The symbolism of the latter has been known in the East for a long time, dating back to the first belief of the third eye. Originally, dai the children were tattooed around the age of five. Now they get tattooed around the age of fourteen. The symbolism still lives on in contemporary times: a tattoo is a sign of adulthood. dai Tattoo customs were first noted by Marco Polo:
“The tattoos are applied using five linked needles…they prick the flesh until the blood comes out, and they are rubbed with a certain black dye.”
rebirth of dai Tattoo customs are somewhat unusual. A 77-year-old man from the Dai tribe told “The New York Times”:
“During the anti-Japanese war, we all got tattoos to show that we are one of the dai people and not han chinese so the Japanese wouldn’t kill us.”
The war mentioned is World War II. Many people from the dai The tribe got tattoos during the 1940s, abandoning the original symbolism and using them to mark their ethnicity. And in fact, dai Tattoos are used today to underline the strength of men and the beauty of women, unlike the original function: to darken their bodies and protect them from lurking beasts.
tattoos
Tea li people have been populating Hainan Island for more than three thousand years. In ancient times, the Chinese knew them as the “tattooed race”, that is, a barbaric and primitive race without civilization. His tattoos (tatan) are closely linked to their religion, which is based on animism. li Tattoos are common among women. Men get blue rings tattooed on their wrists (thought to be related to medical purposes), but other than that, none. The patterns vary from tribe to tribe and generally consist of totemic symbols typical of each clan. A girl who is going to marry another clan member gets her boyfriend’s tribal tattoo.
Similar to with the Dulong and the daitattooing between li people are seen as a sign of adulthood. IN li The girl gets tattooed around the age of thirteen, first on her neck, then on her throat and face. Until her sixteenth birthday, the girl will also get tattoos on her arms and legs. Married women get tattoos on their hands; tattooed hands are inappropriate for a single woman.
In modern times, this practice is greatly simplified. Only older women still wear traditional clothing li tattoos, while facial tattoos are completely abandoned.
Paiwan Tattoos
Tea paiwan people people Taiwan. They are inseparably connected to Chinese culture, so their tattoos are also worth mentioning. Tea paiwan they have a long tradition of tattooing a snake on their body. This, of course, has its roots in the paiwan religion, where the viper is the guardian spirit. The only difference between tattooed snakes comes from the social status of the person who wears them. Originally just a noble paiwan he would have the right to wear the tattoo, but a commoner was allowed to buy that right from a noble. Dots and lines are also common patterns among paiwan women. Tattooed men, in addition to the viper, human heads and figures and solar designs.
Tea paiwan they still maintain their hierarchy. A person who wears a full body tattoo is noble, and even a foreigner can recognize a rich and important person. According to the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Digital Museum:
“They use artistic decoration to solidify their social status and honor their class. Only nobles have the privilege of installing wood and stone carvings in their homes, having tattoos or body adornments, wearing luxurious clothing and special headdresses, and owning antiques. ceramic teapots and lazurite beads. Therefore, the meaning of tattoos transcends the visual and aesthetic. For example, the hundred-step serpent and human images are two sacred patterns. But in general, the paiwan art lacks motifs of everyday life”.
