The bandsman was persuaded by his friends to brave the painful fashion which is becoming more and more popular in his circle but still waits to be widely accepted in China.

Yang Peng, a famous tattooist in Beijing who was working on the young man's arm, said he had tattooed more than 1,000 people since1995 when he took up the profession.

"The fashion of tattooing was first given a push by rock-and-roll musicians in China in recent years, as they are open-minded and like to accept new things," Yang said. "But now my customers come from all walks of life."

In the tattooist's eye, a tattoo is more than a fashion statement. "Rather it is a way to express yourself and vent your feeling," Yang said, adding that some tattoos celebrate love while some are sentimental.

Yang recalled a drug addict who asked him for the tattoo of a rose stabbed by a dagger. The man hoped the tattoo would serve as a reminder to keep him off the addiction.

Customers ask Yang for various designs, from traditional Japanese Yamato-e to modern Western paintings. "They even want Mickey Mouse and Snoopy!" Yang said.

Historians say tattooing in China goes back 3,500 years, but as a punishment for criminals. Emperor Qinshihuang, the first emperor of China's feudal dynasties, ordered a tattoo on the face of disobedient laborers building the Great Wall. The characters on their faces revealed that the bearers were offenders.

Before China shifted to its opening-up policy, tattooing had long been regarded as the pits by Chinese people. Movies and novels described immoral people, gangsters and criminals as tattooed.

Some people today still hold such stereotypical view on the practice.

"No decent people would get a tattoo," said Mr. Hu, a software engineer.

Mr. Li, a driver in an architects firm, said he would never have those ugly-looking beasts on his skin. "It hurts! It's none of my business if others are tattooed, but I'll keep away from them!"

However, Dai Qin, who sings in a rock'n'roll band named Thin Man, said Chinese people are now more open-minded and tolerant about tattoos.

The singer with a carp on his left arm said the design attracts some people and arouses their admiration. "They say it's beautiful!"

Though Dai's father, a college professor, does not approve of what he has done, the singer's girlfriend has said she understands him.

However the lady, an MBA holder, admits she would rather Dai had not had it done.

One of the earliest people to be tattooed in China, Dai was first inscribed with the word "Beetles" when he was a 19-year-old fan of the band.

Xia Xueluan, a sociologist at Peking University, said China has undergone great social changes since the introduction of market economy. "People are now more open-minded and freer to do what they like," Xia said. "Tattooing is a personal orientation and a way to show one's individuality."

The sociologist said a more open and tolerant society provides room for tattoos and tattooists. "There might even be many people who appreciate tattoos," Xia said. "But the choice of design should still go along with current social conducts and values."

Dai said sometimes he is not so freewheeling as to reveal the carp on his arm. "I'll have it covered with a sleeve if I'm at a press conference or at some other serious occasion."

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2002)