For thoese interested: Getting a Tattoo in China

[-葛亚辉-]

I was studying in Harbin this summer, and got a tattoo of a Lu Xun quote while I was there. For those who are interested in getting a tattoo in China or just generally curious, I just posted it on my blog here:

http://sun-zoo.com/inharbin/

(the blog is also relevant to anyone thinking of studying at CET Harbin...it's not active at the moment but I'll use it again when I go back and the archives from this summer are pretty thorough, I think)

[roddy]

Interesting write-up. The tattoo looks more like the kind of thing I'd be inclined to get if I was inclined to get a tattoo, although I suspect I might go for a much briefer quote . . .

[Shadowdh]

I got one in London but would like to get another (other shoulder) here in China... a nice Chinese dragon making its way from top of should to top of elbow I think... but will have to find a good tattooist either here in 武汉 or in 北京.

[-葛亚辉-]

@ roddy....yeah, i guess aesthetically I'd prefer a briefer quote too, but this is really more about the meaning than the aesthetics (although I also think it looks great and all the chinese people who saw it before I left commented on how good the calligraphy was)

@ shadowdh...i bet you can find a good one in wuhan if you look around a bit. I was a little surprised to find one in Harbin, but I suppose he might have been there because there are enough russians there to sustain a tattoo business. Which I assume isn't the case in Wuhan, although I've never been.

[zozzen]

Lu Xin's writing is influential, but does anyone feel that his writing has too many unnecessary words?

希望 是本无所谓有，无所谓无的。这正如地上的路，其实地上本没有路，走的人多了，也便成了路。

I'd write like this:

希望无所谓有，无所谓无。正如地上本没有路，走的人多了，便成了路。

[-葛亚辉-]

hahahah...i actually like lu xuns better....just sounds better to me....i guess some of it is unnecessary but I think when you're worried about sound, flow, and maintaining a specific narrative voice, sometimes you have to say things the long way.

[deezy]

Yea, Chinese inkers do great precision work with Hanzi. I would definitely get any Hanzi done in China.

I don't know about artwork, because I've simply only seen Hanzi done. But, some of the best tattoo artwork is done in Japan...so I'm guessing China has a lot of potential there too.