(Leica X1)I bumped into these three visitors with tattoos all over them. The next thing on my mind was going over to ask them for a snap. And I did. Normally, going over to tattooed people is a no-no in Hong Kong. Why? You may ask.
In China, the history of tattooing goes as far back as to around the Warring States Period (A.D. 403 to 221). For example, as given in the ancient books, the lord of the then Yue state had tattoos. While tattooing could also be closely associated with branding as one of the punishments for criminals in the imperial days, tattoos were taken more as ornamentations as time wore on. Take for example the Outlaws of the Marsh (circa 960-1279), one of the four ancient chefs-d'oeuvre of China (the other three are The Story of the Stone, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West). The novelist invented three characters with tattoos on their body in the novel. Could these characters be taken from real life personalities? I have no doubt.
In the Hong Kong context, however, tattoos impart a negative feeling in general. This has much to do with the triad societies’ ceremony to bring people into their fold, which is receiving tattoos as a proof of courage. Tattooing is so closely connected with the gangsters that there is a common saying, "Blue dragon (tattoo) on the left (forearm) and white tiger (tattoo) on the right (forearm)" as an euphemism to describe them. So the locals generally won’t approach tattooed people.
Surely, among the younger generations in Hong Kong, they are more receptive of tattooing as a fashionable thing. Fact is, Hong Kong has a locally born tattoo master named Gabe. He is very famous in the trade and has tattooed a great number of celebrities including Beckham. The Radio and Television Hong Kong has aired a Chinese TV episode about Gabe and his tattooing works. Guess what? He revealed that one of the most unforgettable tattoos he had ever done was a snake head on a client's penis!
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