Fancy getting inked? These are Beijing's best tattoo studios

Unsure whether to get inked in Beijing? Time Out Beijing talks motorbikes, rock ’n’ roll and bum-cheek tattoos with the sharpest needles in town.

Creation Tattoo

Tattoo artist Fei

Where are you from? 

'Dongbei, do you know it?'

How did you get into tattoos? 

'I’m really into rock ’n’ roll music and all the singers have tattoos. I’m also really interested in drawing so the two sort of came together. It all just felt really cool.'

Which tattoo was your first? 

'My first one I did myself. I didn’t use a tattoo machine, it was one of those machines to draw eyebrows. [The tattoo] didn’t really mean anything, but now I think of it as a bird totem. My name has "Peng" in it, which is a type of bird, so I think the tattoo was destiny.'

What’s the strangest tattoo you have been asked to do? 

'Sometimes you get clients that you know are just having fun and aren’t serious. A big group of foreigners came here once and they were going to tattoo one person’s name on the other person’s butt, which can be cool too. Sometimes tattoos don’t have to be that meaningful or serious.'

Do people in China have prejudices towards people with tattoos? 

'It depends on the place. Nowadays in Beijing and Shanghai it’s actually okay. Especially in Sanlitun, because almost everyone here has tattoos. In China today, it’s really popular to get a tattoo; it’s a lot more exciting compared to places like Japan or the West, where the tattoo fad has kind of died down.'

What has been your favourite design? 

'I had one client who was moving to England. He got “Son of the Forbidden City” tattooed on his chest.'

The studio

Style Across the board.

About With three professional tattoo artists on hand to draw up whatever design your heart desires, Creation Tattoo is a solid option for first-timers and veterans alike. Old-school or new-school, you name it, you got it. Creation Tattoo also offers body piercings and tattoo removals. Call ahead to book before you go.

Price 800RMB for half an hour; 1,800RMB per hour for larger works.

Mummy Tattoo Studio

Tattoo artist  Xiaodong

How long have you been working at Mummy Tattoo? 

'Roughly 19-20 years.'

What’s the difference between northern and southern China, tattoo-wise? 

'I think the main thing is differences in attitudes and lifestyles between the north and the south. In the south they prefer smaller, more detailed designs, but in the north they prefer bigger tattoos – a little bit like their personalities.'

What about your own tattoos? 'Which was your first? 

The first was a tribal pattern from New Zealand; a band-mate made it. 

What is the hardest tattoo that a customer has asked for? 

Sometimes my clients ask for something funny and I don’t really understand it, so it seems weird to me. For example, a guy might want a cartoon version of his girlfriend and then later he wants to change it so he decides to add a beard to the girlfriend’s face. Stuff like that.'

What is your style? 

'I think I use more Chinese aesthetics; I have definitely been influenced by Chinese culture a lot.'

The studio

Style Specialises in traditional Chinese designs.

About Crammed with Buddha statues, Chinese paintings and sweet-smelling incense. Xiaodong is one of Beijing’s tattoo masters so you’re in safe hands. Available by appointment only.

Price 1,000RMB for less than an hour; 2,000RMB per hour.

Pins and Needles

Tattoo artist Chacha

Where are you from? 

'My hometown is in Hunan. You know, it’s Chairman Mao’s hometown so it’s pretty famous.'

Why did you decide to become a tattoo artist? 

'It was when I was in Yunnan. I realised I should probably start making money so that I could actually buy food. But I didn’t want to buy a tie and work in some office building, so I thought it might be a good idea to start tattooing.'

Were you always good at art? 

'I wasn’t that good in the beginning. When I [started out] in Yunnan I made a lot of horrible tattoo works. People said, "No, don’t go to Chacha. He’s just awful!" But you’ve got to keep practising, and you’ll constantly improve.'

When did you get your first tattoo? 

'My first tattoo was a big mummy skull on my chest. It was really horrible, the line looked wrong, but the tattoo artist said it would be fine after it healed. After it healed, I realised he was just lying. So I was really sad about that. And it’s affected how I tattoo people today as well. I don’t want to make any mistakes because I don’t want my customers to have the same feeling I did back then.'

What is one of the best tattoo ideas a customer has given you? 

'One guy had a problem with his arm, he had surgery a long time ago to remove all of the muscle. It was kind of creepy to touch because it was just bone and skin. Later, when he was finally going to get rid of the arm, he wanted to get chai  [the character for ‘demolish’] tattooed on it to celebrate. It was a very dark joke – you can only do that if you are tough enough. So I thought he was cool. That was a good story.'

What is it like working with your wife? 

'She’s my boss! [Laughs].'

How do people react to your tattoos? 

'There are a lot of different reactions. Sometimes, there will be some old granny who just starts laughing at me for no reason. Sometimes guys just grab my arm and ask "What’s that?", which is so rude.'

What has been your favourite design? 

I had an American girl get a tattoo of the Beijing Rabbit God, Tuerye, as a memory of her time here.

The studio

Style Across the board.

About When you walk into this friendly, colourful and cosy tattoo studio, run by Chacha and his wife, Nono, you’ll more than likely hear Jimi Hendrix blasting from the speakers (although Chacha does reserve a special playlist for especially painful tattoos). The walls are covered with colourful posters, animal masks and banjos, so there’s plenty to distract you from the sharp needle coming your way. Both artists are happy to ink you with any design of your choosing. Chacha specialises in traditional tattoo designs, portraits and lettering. For colourful or more intricate designs, ask for Nono.

Price Between 1,000-2,000RMB for less than an hour; 2,000RMB per hour.

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