chinese tattoos

The symbolism of the East Asian dragon could not be more diametrically opposed to that of the western or Celtic dragon, as noted in this definition of the dragon tattoo symbol.

Particularly in China, it is difficult to imagine a more positive and powerful symbol. Although it is a mysterious and supernatural being, the dragon controls the forces of nature, particularly rain and thunder. It is equally at home in the sea or sky, although it typically has no wings. Dragons naturally lent themselves as symbols of imperial law-giving and just rule and were adopted by Chinese emperors as early as the Han dynasty when the five-clawed turquoise dragon Lung was used as a motif.

In the Chinese zodiac, people who are born in the Year of the Dragon are simply considered more powerful and lucky than anyone else. They naturally attract attention, are used to finishing first, and have the self-confidence and ego that go along with their tendency to do things on a grand scale. Endowed with tremendous energy, intelligence, and talent, Dragon people enjoy the attention but can also have a helpful and charitable side as well.

People born in the Year of the Dragon are considered most compatible with people born in the Year of the Rat or Monkey while they are least compatible with those born in the Year of the Dog.
 chinese symbols tattoos

Dragon’s Face Tattoo - In the west, it is a greedy, fire-breathing, cave-dwelling, and fear-inspiring creature that jealously guards its hoard of gold.  In the east, however, it symbolizes something far different.  In fact, Occident and Orient couldn’t be further apart than in their interpretation of one of the most powerful of all mythic creatures and tattoo designs, the dragon.  Although they do not have wings, as in the west, Oriental dragons are equally at home in the air or in the water.  In fact, the Chinese imperial dragon was the emblem of the emperor himself, symbolizing his power and authority to intercede between heaven and earth.  Like the dragon, the ideal emperor embodied wisdom and strength, manipulating the very forces of the universe for the benefit of the people.  Often times in Oriental designs the dragon is seen wielding the pearl of wisdom, essentially the essence of the universe, in order to control the winds, rains, and even the planets.  As early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E. – C. E. 220) the phrase “dragon’s pearl” referred to the perfect thoughts and commands of the emperor while “dragon’s face” was used to refer to the emperor’s face.  But the face of the oriental dragon is not actually the face of one creature but rather many.  The eyes are those of a demon while the ears are those of a cow.  Although the neck is that of a snake, the dragon wears the horns of a stag.  Finally, it has the overall head of a camel but with a sort of lump on the top, without which it could not fly.  With saliva that was like perfume and a voice like the musical ringing of a copper basin, the Oriental dragon was the bearer of profound blessings.  Like other Oriental tattoo designs, the choice of a dragon is sometimes an aspiration to these same qualities of great goodness, wisdom, and power.

chinese dragon tattoos

Chinese Tattoos have always been hugely popular. At one stage they were the realm of criminals and the mafia. Now it seems even Hollywood celebrities seem to have caught on to the mystery and allure of the Far East. While it is undeniable that classic Chinese tattoos have an attraction which can easily be appreciated regardless of whether one can understand the often subtle meanings or not.
Aesthetics should be the primary consideration when getting tattooed, and Chinese characters are very well suited to this purpose. While tattoos have always been conversation pieces, Chinese tattoos add another element, since the typical viewer will probably ask you the meaning, which allows the wearer to not only translate the characters, but to explain the story behind the decision to make such a lasting statement.

Meaning is an important question however and for this reason can make Chinese tattoos date very quickly. Often it is not quite what the wearer was told by the tattooist at the tattoo shop or the meaning can become irrelevant after a few years.

Hopefully the person being tattooed has done his or her research and consulted with a native Chinese speaker about the meaning before being inked. Some non Chinese speakers have unwittingly tattooed their bodies with Chinese symbols which when translated become meaningless.

The most common Chinese tattoos are ones that are supposed to represent ideas and qualities like love or strength. Keep in mind that the concepts are aimed at English speakers, and on that level “peace, love and happiness” are easily understandable.
But before you run off to the studio to get one done you should do your research. Selecting a Chinese tattoos deserves careful study and attention. It should have less to do with style and more to do with your character, work, and values. It’s permanent, so it’s a pretty important decision in your life. In the end, it is important to choose something of lasting appeal not something faddish.

For centuries, the Chinese dragon has been a symbol of power and mystery. Depicted in countless legends, both Eastern and Western, the dragon has provoked man to fear and worship it. In medieval Europe, it was a bloodthirsty, fire-breathing figure. Its malevolence and ferociousness struck terror in all. However, in Asia, it is the contrary. The mighty dragon is a mythical beast long celebrated for its benevolence, intelligence and good will. The Chinese dragon has been a common symbol of identity for Far Eastern cultures.

In fact, Chinese people all over the world are affectionately known as “lung de chuan ren”, or the “descendants of the dragon”. There are several distinct species of Chinese dragons. The Horned Dragon is considered to be the mightiest. The Celestial Dragon supports the heavens and protects the Gods. The Earth Dragon rules all of the earth. The Spiritual Dragon controls the wind and rain. The Treasure Dragon is the keeper of precious metals and gems. The Winged Dragon is the only dragon with wings. The Coiling Dragon dwells in the ocean. The Yellow Dragon is a hornless dragon known for its scholarly knowledge.

Chinese Dragon Tattoos

There are many different tattoo designs around, and for every design you can think of there are probably many different forms of that particular design. We see this with chinese dragons tattoos, people don’t just have a dragon tattoo, they want the dragon tattooed in a particular way and each way has a different symbolic meaning – it is no different with the cross. The cross is probably one of the most recognized religious symbols in the world because of its association with Christianity. However, there are many different designs in cross tattoos and it helps to be able to tell one from another and to recognize just what the particular significance of each particular cross might be. The cross is actually a very ancient symbol that predates Christianity and was used by the Aztecs and by various pagan traditions.

The cross is one of the most frequently requested tattoo designs it is even more popular than the seemingly ubiquitous swallows and anchors. It can be quite confusing when there are so many different designs to choose from, and if, as we have already said, tattoos have particular personal significance, we want to be sure that the design is saying what we want it to. Nowadays many young Christians choose to have a Christian cross tattoo – these might be with or without the body of Jesus. Some Christian cross tattoos will depict the Sacred Heart along with the Cross, or with a crown of thorns. If the body of Christ is nailed to the cross this is often referred to as the Latin cross.

Gothic cross designs may not be specifically Christian as they often include some form of dark imagery. They may have some barbed wire around the middle of the cross or the cross may also be intertwined with a dagger. The Gothic cross is usually heavily ornamental with beveled edges and it symbolizes pain and anger rather than a message of hope.

The Egyptian cross or ankh is often known as the key of life it is a cross with a circular shape at the top. Tribal crosses often have flowing lines and very distinctive outlines. Then there is the Celtic cross which is gaining in popularity today and has a long history attached to it. Again the Celtic cross is usually intricately designed with loops and knot work wrapped around the area where the two parts meet. The loops are meant to symbolize the never ending circle of life and the knots symbolize the link between the physical and the spiritual world. One of the reasons this particular design may have become so popular is because there is a renewed interest in Celtic Christianity. The ancient Celts saw little difference between the natural world and the supernatural and there were prayers for everyday acts such as lighting the fire or making the bed.

Chinese character tattoos

Body art has been an art form for some time now dating way back to the caveman ages. Tattoo designs were used to incorporate meanings, leadership, brands, ownership, status and much more when words weren’t available. In fact, to some, tattoos seem like a totally brand new concept to art which seem ideal in today’s world in terms of fashion.

Today though, tattoo designs are more used as a fashion statement to define one’s persona and uniqueness in the world. They are symbolic and meaningful, yet the hardest part of choosing tattoo designs is just that, CHOOSING THE DESIGN.

In this article, I will cover unique ways for you to choose, or create your tattoo designs.

A simple concept to remember is that ANYTHING you choose can be a tattoo design. It seems as if a lot of people tend to forget that. Tattoo designs do not necessarily have to be tribal, Asian characters, Religious, Spiritual, Violent, Racial, etc. But they can be ANYTHING that you choose. For instance, a friend of mine that happens to be a great lawyer, recently got a tattoo on his back saying, “beLIEve me”, if you didn’t catch it, notice how he stressed the “LIE” in believe. It means that he sometimes has to lie because his profession calls for it.

Another example of some unique tattoo designs is a broken heart placed where the heart would usually be on the chest, and when that person found true love again, he/she would have the tattoo artist draw a stitch, a name, or whatever creative idea the person has to show he/she is no longer broken hearted.

Tattoo designs are not rocket science, yet we all spend time sometimes weeks and months to choose that “perfect tattoo” for us, partially because we know that the design will be lasting forever, unless you get it lasered off which will leave an ugly scar. Remember that ANYTHING can be a tattoo and symbolic, it’s up to you on how you design it or how you want it drawn for you.
knowledge of tattoos

When a female customer comes into a tattoo shop and looks for a specific design to have for an image she may be looking for a tattoo design for female customers. This sort of tattoo design can include such images as flowers, fantasy animals and celestial images such as stars, moons and moon designs. Although there are many more designs that could be called female images the tattoo shop artists have many designs that could be called tattoo design for female images. Some customers may want a star design that they can have tattooed onto the small of their back or a moon design that might be located upon their shoulder. Some female customers will want to have a lot of control over the resulting design for their tattoo while others will simply allow the tattoo shop artist to create their own design. The tattoo shop artists are very adept at creating images to customer requests and usually develop quite a loyal following for their work.

One of the most popular tattoo designs chosen by female customers to a tattoo shop is the image of a unicorn. Because of its fantasy background and its association with purity and princesses, the unicorn image has always been a very popular choice for a tattoo design among female clients. This is one of the reasons that most tattoo shops have many different designs for unicorn images in their catalog of images for customers to choose from. Some designs have the unicorn by itself as an image while others have the unicorn as an added element to a much larger design. There are many customers who want to have a say in the way that their tattoo turns out. Other customers may just let the tattoo shop artist have his way with the design of the image. Many designs will only require a small amount of change while others may have a complete makeover of their design elements.

Some female customers will search online and find an image of a unicorn or other fantasy creature that might make for a great tattoo and bring the design in to the tattoo shop. The artists there can then take that design and ad or remove details to the image and create a more unique design for a tattoo. This personal touch is what keeps many people returning to the same tattoo shop so that the artists can help them create the design they see in their minds for the supplied image. Some customers will even visit tattoo web sites looking for the best image that they can find to have their local tattoo shop artist copy for them. While many of these tattoo designs are offered free, some require a small fee or deposit.