Chinese Writing Tattoos

History of Chinese Writing

Around 1200 B.C., ancient Chinese diviners carved their records into animal bones. This was a very developed system of writing and was quite similar to classical Chinese. These diviners worked for the Shang kings; most of the "forecasts" found on these Oracle bones dealt with warfare, weather, hunting, and best days for ceremonies. This mystical beginning may explain why Chinese writing has such an exotic appeal.

By the fifth century B.C., Chinese writing was being done on bamboo scrolls using a stick or a brush. This writing was not just about casting the future for kings, but historical, administrative, and philosophical texts. This writing is called wenyan or classical Chinese.

The First Emperor of Qin introduced the Qin script as the "official written language" in 221 B.C. The calligraphy style writing of the Qin is sometimes referred to as clerical script; it is beautiful and easy to read. There is a strong spiritual influence in the creation of modern Chinese writing; this could be another reason that people feel the symbols are special.

Popular Symbols for Chinese Writing Tattoos

Chinese writing is a writing system that uses symbols to represent different concepts; it is not a phonetic alphabet. There are thousands of symbols. Finding one that is right for a tattoo will not be difficult if you know what you wish for your tattoo to express. Below are a few Chinese symbols that you may wish to consider as an idea for a tattoo:

The Chinese Zodiac

Year of the Dragon

The early Chinese zodiac was called "The Twelve Earthly Branches and Ten Celestial Stems". It was later on in this zodiac's history that animal representatives were assigned to each of the twelve branches. The animals of the Chinese zodiac represent are as follows:

• The Rat
• The Ox
• The Tiger
• The Rabbit
• The Dragon
• The Snake
• The Ram
• The Monkey
• The Rooster
• The Dog
• The Pig

Positive Message Characters

"God"

Many people like the simple elegance of Chinese writing, and want to use a simple symbol for their tattoo. Some of the most popular symbols are:

• Love
• Faith
• Strength
• Hope
• Peace
• Joy
• Happiness
• Friendship
• Angel

Obviously, there are many more symbols that you may wish to use in your tattoo. Research carefully from reliable translation sources and you will find the one that is perfect for you.

Do Not Get "Lost in Translation"

A Chinese writing tattoo can be a thing of beauty when you take care to get accurate translation for the meaning of your Chinese writing symbol. Be sure your tattoo artist in familiar with Chinese writing, and does not change the order of the characters. The internet has an abundance of stories about tattoo mishaps caused by misinterpretation.

There is the story of a lady that wanted to get the Chinese symbol for "Freedom" as her tattoo. She went to a Chinese restaurant and asked a man there to help her find the correct symbol. She ended up with a tattoo which translated meant "Free of Charge". Close, but somehow not the same.

On NPR, there is a sad but somewhat amusing story of a man whose tattoo should read "Bad Boy" but a couple of the lower characters are transposed.

There are many people that have used Chinese writing in their tattoos. Most of them are pleased with the work, and all is well. Taking some time to select a good artist and insuring that your tattoo is reflecting the image you are intending will make your tattoo a source of pride.