Chinese Tattoos

The grace and magnificence of Chinese art is well known through the world so that the extreme popularity of Chinese symbol tattoos is not surprising. Enter any nightclub, university campus or celebrity party and you will be surrounded by evidence to support this. However, it is not just the beauty of the art that makes these symbols so common in tattoos. Chinese images are ripe with meaning—a simple character can represent many concepts—so that bearing a Chinese tattoo can express everything you want to say through a relatively basic design.

The Kanji symbols are some of the most common. Kanji writing is the primary character writing used in Japan, but Chinese kanji has a slightly different style and vocabulary. These symbol tattoos often show emotional states like love, peace and friendship.

One of the most profound symbols in Chinese imagery is the classic Yin and Yang. Illustrating the perfect balance of the universe, each contrasting side represents one aspect of the duality of life. The Yin holds the dark, earthly, female half, while the Yang holds the light, airy, male half. To balance this further, each half has a piece of the other within it. In tattoo form, there are myriad ways to represent this image. The most traditional is in the circle, but a Yin Yang sign enclosed in a lotus flower is also a popular image, the lotus flower also symbolizing balance and purity. Following this trend, you can place the Yin Yang in almost any shape, bringing balance to anything. An eye, for example, expresses internal and external balance, whereas a Yin Yang heart expresses emotional balance.

The Chinese dragon has heavy symbology as well. Dragons have represented many things throughout time, including the criminal element within. Some dragons express power and mystery. A horned dragon, for example, symbolizes strength and force, while a hornless yellow dragon represents knowledge. Often, however, people have dragon tattoos simply because they like the design.

Chinese scenes, much like those on their famed screens, can be an excellent idea for a tattoo. You can create beautiful as well as symbolic landscapes using elements such as bamboo—a symbol of endurance for its strength and durability—with cranes, which signify wealth, longevity and power. Deer are also popular symbols of strength and elegance, depending on what you prefer to express.

Chinese tattoos are continually used because of the power that each symbol carries. Whether you choose a Chinese character because of it represents who you are, who you want to be, or simply because you think it’s beautiful, be sure to investigate the different styles and elements you can design in your Chinese tattoo.