Chinese tattoo artists are fighting the stigma

Last week, tens of thousands of tattoo fans gathered at the 13th Langfang International Tattoo Festival in the suburbs of Beijing.

From China’s Xuzhou to Peru’s Lima, tattoo artists from all over the world came to celebrate the art form.

Although it’s common to see people with tattoos in China, the government frowns on them – celebrities and soccer players and banned from showing them on TV and soldiers are not allowed to get them.

In China, to have a tattoo still carries a stigma: they’re associated with organized crime and hooliganism. 

The traditional Chinese saying goes “your body, hair and skin are given to you by your parents” – and that you should not alter them without their permission.

But despite that, this art form is gaining popularity.

Tattoo artists want to remove the stigma from what they do, some paying tribute to Chinese traditional culture in their work. 

They want to change what the country thinks of body art. Watch our video to find out more.