Tattoos have long been associated with criminal prosecution, a connection to the mafia or the navy. But in recent years, young and old alike in this city have been getting tattoos as a way to express themselves. 'Tattooing is a kind of art,' says local tattoo artist Zeng Yao-ting, 24, who runs a studio off Beijing Road. 'It's more difficult than just painting. If you make a mistake on paper or canvas you can erase it or start again, but on skin you only have one chance. Plus, everybody's skin is different in colour and texture.' Tattoo artists are now a common sight in places like Beijing Road and Liwan Plaza. Advertisements in the form of a collage of photos of tattooed customers alert potential clients to the different kinds of designs a particular artist can do. Usually, a person is standing by the poster, who then leads interested clients to the tattoo artist's studio. 'I have more advertisements than other people,' says Chen Wen-long, 28, who came to Guangzhou from Wuhan in 1992, after graduating from an art school there. 'I used to do tattoo art when I was in school, just scribbling in my spare time.' Mr Chen started his tattoo business last year. 'I like interacting with customers. Also, my work will stay with that person for the rest of their life. This is more meaningful.' According to Mr Chen and Ms Zeng, tattoos attract a wide range of clients, from adolescent hip-hoppers to white-collar executive types. But they all share one common characteristic - the desire to be independent. 'People are not as conservative as before. People who get tattoos are different,' says Ms Zeng. While tattoo artists attract a number of expats living in Guangzhou, most people come from outside the province, from places such as Harbin, Sichuan, Jiangxi and Guanxi. 'Some people are superstitious,' says Ms Zeng. 'If they have a tattoo of Guan Gong (the god of war) they feel they'll be better protected, or if they have a tattoo of Buddha, that they'll be luckier.' Other popular tattoos include flowers and butterflies for women, and dragons and scorpions for men. Most artists use templates and materials imported from Japan or North America, but some tattooists do freehand designs. Small tattoos can be finished in 30 minutes, while larger tattoos could take up to three hours. It usually takes a week for the skin to heal, said Mr Chen. Prices depend on colour and size. For example, a 5cm black and white tattoo of a dragon will cost around 150 yuan, while the same size tattoo in colour will be more than 200 yuan, said Mr Chen. A full body tattoo will cost about 30,000 yuan. 'It's getting difficult to do this business,' admits Ms Zeng. 'There are just too many people doing this now.'
